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" Meet Miss California Teen USA 2010 - Emma Baker! The 18-year-old college student had never competed in pageants before her big win and now she&amp;#039;s gearing up to head to the Bahamas to compete in Donald Trump&amp;#039;s Miss Teen USA pageant on July 24th. Teen caught up with Emma to get her inspiring tips on boosting your self-esteem, embracing your body no matter what your size, and following your dreams. Teen Mag: What do you think made you stand out to win the title of Miss California Teen USA 2010? Emma Baker: I think I won California because I was a fresh and new face! I had never participated in a pageant before - never even seen one on TV! I didn&amp;#039;t know anything about the industry. I came in as myself and won as myself. That is how I plan to tackle Miss Teen USA but this time with more knowledge. TM: How do you deal with jealousy from other girls? EB:  I have learned to disregard people&amp;#039;s negative opinions of me. It is very important to remain humble and grounded. I stay true to myself; true to my beliefs and my morals. That is how I survived high school. I lived that &amp;#039;mean girls&amp;#039; story; I was bullied and criticized for my values, beliefs, beauty, and ambition. I was the quiet, reserved girl who didn&amp;#039;t care what others thought about me. And now look at me! About to compete for the title of Miss Teen USA 2010!! I never thought I&amp;#039;d be here. TM: What do you hope to do with the Miss Teen USA crown if you win? EB: Not only do I hope to expand my life experience by traveling, attending special events, and working closely with charities, I hope to grow my passion for education on nutrition and the importance of health and the body. I want to develop my own seminars on self confidence and share with girls and boys across the country that it&amp;#039;s okay to be yourself! Look at where I am because of my uniqueness; by being different than the norm. I think to be different and unique takes great confidence and that is something teens must embrace in order to be successful.  TM: Who&amp;#039;s your role model? EB: I want to be a consistent positive role model for young girls across the nation to look up too! This is a job; a job where the holder of the crown must be qualified; someone who wants the challenge is smart and confident, beautiful and bold, and someone who is willing to stand out and make a difference. I feel Tyra Banks has those qualities. Her TV show is constantly defying the norm. For example, she brings curvy and sometimes overweight teens onto her show every so often to discuss the troubles they come across and the ridicule they battle. These girls are tough! They are so confident and I love the fact that Tyra is supportive, since she is a curvy woman herself. I am constantly inspired by the show America&amp;#039;s Next Top Model and always love seeing the way Tyra interacts with her girls. She&amp;#039;s positive and direct! She wants them to hear the way it is in the real world. Tyra Banks is very inspiring to me and I would love to have the opportunity to meet her! TM: What have you learned from your pageant experience so far? EB: The importance of confidence. When I walked out on the stage at the Miss California Teen USA pageant, I didn&amp;#039;t care how flat my hair had fallen, or how my bathing suit was a little sporty compared to the rhinestone suits I&amp;#039;d seen. I just strutted my stuff out on that runway and laughed the whole way down. When I reached the end of the runway, I found my mom in the crowd and I winked. I looked at the judges and smiled my biggest most genuine smile ever. It was incredible. It was fun. It was me. TM: What is your advice for dealing with criticism?  EB: As a former competitive soccer player, I learned the importance of the two words, &amp;#039;constructive criticism&amp;#039;. Criticism is something you must embrace and take as a critique. The criticism I have received in mock interviews while preparing for Miss Teen USA has helped me greatly! I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work closely with people who want to see me develop and succeed as a person. I feel that a judge&amp;#039;s job is not to quiz the talent, but to learn about them. Why would a judge want to quiz me on a topic rather than hear my stance on how I feel about the issue? I am excited to speak with the judges at Miss Teen USA! I can&amp;#039;t wait to hear what they want to know. TM: Can you explain the importance of inner beauty? EB: It is crucial to have a beautiful soul. Not just in pageantry, but in life! I have always worked hard to be positive, encouraging, personable, and accepting. If you shine and have a presence with your inner beauty, you will always be beautiful on the outside. I can go to the gym just rolling out of bed, with my head held high, my best attitude, looking like a morning muffin and still have people compliment me on how they were so happy to see me that morning. It&amp;#039;s a great feeling! TM: How do you boost your confidence and self esteem when you&amp;#039;re feeling down? EB: Every morning, I get up, shower, do my hair, and put on some mascara; I eat a great breakfast, and sort out my plan for that day. Whether it&amp;#039;s going to work, going shopping, a beach day, going to Los Angeles, or meeting with friends; I always have a plan! I always give the appearance that I care about my image whether I am walking down the street, or walking into a restaurant. It&amp;#039;s important to feel good about yourself. Be bold and brave! People will notice you! TM: What are your tips for keeping up a healthy body image? EB: My philosophy is everyone is born with a unique physique. I just happen to be built lean and narrow. It is so important to be proud of your body. Forty years ago, my body type was not popular in Hollywood or modeling and it might not be popular ten years from today. Different body types and physiques give young girls different skill sets. For example, I could never be a successful gymnast (I&amp;#039;m too tall), or a strong softball pitcher (I&amp;#039;m not strong enough). I played competitive soccer for seven years and finally at the college level learned the hard lesson that I was likely to suffer some serious injuries because I was too light. Your physique is what makes you -YOU! Embrace your own specific beauty and talents and take life on as a challenge! If I don&amp;#039;t feel great on a particular day, I make sure that I get up and do my routine, eat healthy, and go to the gym! If you have your routine that makes you feel good about yourself, complete that cycle every morning knowing that when you&amp;#039;re done, you&amp;#039;re lookin&amp;#039; and feelin&amp;#039; good! Love life!  What do you think about Emma&amp;#039;s words of advice? Have you ever competed in a pageant or hope to one day?  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/advice/a11786/emma-baker-miss-california-teen-usa/>