2011 Miss Pomona selected

A Village Academy High School has been named 2011 Miss Pomona.

Mansi Patel was crowned during the 2011 Miss Pomona Scholarship Pageant ceremony that took place Saturday at the Fox Theater in the city's downtown, according to a statement from the Downtown Pomona Owners Association.

The Owners Association organized the event in collaboration with the Miss Pomona Pageant Committee.

The runners up, the 2011 Pomona Princesses, are Danielle Cruz Garcia and Jessie Gomez. Both are students at Diamond Ranch High School.

Patel, 17, plans to apply to participate in the Miss Teenage California Scholarship Pageant taking place in Irvine this Spring.

Among Patel's goals attending Duke University where she will major in math; becoming a math professor; and working with Pomona youth, the statement said.

"Mansi is such an inspiration and positive role model to all our youth," Mickey Gallivan, co-chairwoman of the Pageant Committee said in a statement.

As part of her responsibilities Patel will represent Pomona at various public events and activities.

All of the young women who participated in the pageant are positive role models who will make significant contributions to society in the future, Gallivan said Tuesday.

Often Gallivan is asked why she is involved in the organization of the pageant.

"The reason I keep doing it is because (the young people) inspire me," she said. "They make me feel so hopeful for the future....Sometimes you have to see greatness in action."

Organizers said the event drew a large audience to the Fox.

Teachers, family members and friends of all three pageant finalists were among the crowd, Gallivan said.

Having the pageant at the Fox contributed to the event's atmosphere, she said.

"It added to the prestige, it added to the glamour of the evening and added glamour to downtown," Gallivan said.

The participation of sponsoring businesses has also been important to the event.

The contributions allowed organizers to present Miss Pomona a $3,000 scholarship and each princess a $2,000 scholarship, Gallivan said, adding that's the most organizers have been able to award.

For additional information on the Miss Pomona Scholarship Pageant visit www.metropomona.com.