This year’s Miss CI was full of many talented and inspiring young ladies. They showed that women are more than just beauty; they’re also filled with intelligence and power.

Some of these girls had no filter when it came to the judges’ questions. They got quite personal, letting out their emotions, especially when it came to talking about their families and some rough instances in their lives.

All the girls entered the competition with the same goal: to achieve the crown and earn the title “Miss CI.”

One young lady in particular stood out to the judges though and took home the crown. This lucky girl is Deanna Lara, a senior.

Lara was a very good sport throughout the competition, cheering on the other girls and even dancing along to their performances.

The track and water polo star started off the night in her casual wear with all her friends in the stands cheering her on while she greeted the judges.

For the talent portion, she did a traditional Tahitian dance and her exceptional performance left everyone impressed, showing that she was talented on the track, dance floor, and in the pool.

She also looked stunning in her evening gown as she was escorted by her best friend Sarah Soto and her older sister Airin Lara.

The reigning Miss CI had her entire family there supporting her, proud to see her win it all.

Lara was inspired to participate in Miss CI as it is her senior year and she just wanted to try it out for fun.

“I was surprised that I won,” Lara said, “but I’m very grateful and happy.”

She remained humble after her win, giving props to her fellow competitor Wendy Arevalo, whom she thought would win with her inspiring poem.

One of the judges, Ms. Zazil Sanchez, said, “It was a very hard choice to select the winner. All the girls were very talented, but Deanna stood out because of her personality and her poise.”