MISS SAN FERNANDO; BEAUTIFUL CONCEPT; PAGEANT PUTS EMPHASIS ON SMARTS.

Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer

High school senior Lourdes Torres is the type of no-nonsense teen who would rather spend her free time walking campaign precincts instead of teetering on high heels for a beauty pageant.

And that's exactly why Torres, 17, decided to compete against 20 other girls in the 68th annual Miss San Fernando pageant, which culminates today with the crowning of its 1999 queen and princesses.

You'll see no women parading down runways in bathing suits or tap dancing for a talent portion because this competition is more about brains than beauty - and that's what Torres, an aspiring politician, was looking for.

``I like that it's not about having a great body or a perfect face. It's about what's inside,'' said Torres, whose older sister Olivia Torres, 22, is also competing.

Emphasizing community service and public speaking skills, the Greater San Fernando Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event, has over the past decade turned the event into a launching pad for successful careers for the young women who compete annually.

``It's not your average beauty pageant and, in fact, if you want to use the word beauty, call it inner beauty,'' said Joe Sandoval, president and CEO of the chamber. ``It's a character-building process. If you can go in front of 200 strangers and give a public speech, you can do anything.''

Past queens and princesses who have gone on to successful careers include Diane Diaz, a local news anchor with KNBC-TV (Channel 4); Vivian Hartman, owner of Buffalo Bruce's Mercantile in Sylmar; and Christina Sanchez Camino, director of public affairs for the Spanish-language station KMEX-TV (Channel 34) in Los Angeles.

Contestants, who must be between the ages of 17 and 22, are judged on their public-speaking abilities, an individual interview, a short essay and their overall presentation throughout the monthlong process. They also must complete at least eight hours of community service with a local charity.

Yolanda Fuentes, 1995 Miss San Fernando, can attest to the impact of the pageant. She was a customer service representative for Domino's Pizza when she competed in the pageant four years ago. Today she is a field representative for Assemblyman Tony Cardenas, D-Panorama City.

``Doors opened to real work, not only to college, but the business community that we were introduced to,'' said Fuentes, 24, who chaired this year's pageant.

Each contestant is sponsored by a chamber member and has the opportunity to mingle with business and civic leaders at a mixer organized at the start of the competition.

Overcoming shyness

Often the contestants parlay these conversations into jobs or internships, but the biggest benefit, said Fuentes, is that they overcome shyness and other insecurities.

``I don't have the perfect body and I was always conscious of that, but I knew it wasn't the standard beauty contest,'' said Fuentes. ``It was more about your community involvement; it was about how you could speak to people, how you presented yourself.''

One contestant, Alma Martinez, was hesitant at first to join the pageant because, as she puts it, ``I don't do beauty pageants.'' Young women today are pioneers and leaders, not just models who are ``pretty and delicate,'' she said.

But then Martinez realized that through the pageant she could meet politicians and community service organization leaders and push her agenda.

``This pageant is about where your heart is in the community,'' said Martinez, 22, a UCLA student. ``The judges are looking at your dedication to the community, not how much you weigh, how tall you are or how pretty you are.''

Lourdes Torres saw the event as an opportunity to develop the skills she needs to become a legislator one day.

``I want to become a politician - an assemblywoman or senator - so I can do something about our community and not just talk about it,'' said Torres, a San Fernando resident.

Passion for politics

During judging night Thursday, Torres' passion for politics came through when she spoke of the need for more computers at her school and the issue of dealing with graffiti in her community.

``We were looking at providing the skills necessary for these women to compete not only in the workplace but in school,'' said Sandoval.

While the one-on-one interviews on judging night prepare contestants for college interviews as well as job interviews, the community service component helps create a broader awareness of service to the community, said Sandoval.

A week after the pageant was under way, Martinez had organized a read-a-thon to raise funds for much-needed books and computer programs at the Boys & Girls Club of the San Fernando Valley.

To raise the money, she lobbied chamber members at the pageant's mixer to sponsor the club's youths, who pledged to read a set number of books during national Read Across America week in early March. In all, she raised more than $600.

``I believe if you encourage children from the beginning and make their reading, writing and math skills strong, they won't have problems in the future,'' said Martinez, who tutors at the club in her free time.

The pageant is an outgrowth of an agricultural festival that crowned its first Miss San Fernando in 1931. Over the years, the pageant took on many of the aspects of a typical beauty pageant, complete with a coronation at a formal early California-style dinner, said Sandoval.

In the late 1980s, the Chamber of Commerce decided to refocus the pageant to emphasize community service, essay writing and public speaking, said Sandoval.

Good experience

Andrea Chavez, 20, who is the reigning 1998 Miss San Fernando, said her yearlong experience pushed her into arenas where she developed skills that will help her for the rest of her life.

``I think the public speaking skills you gain are key,'' said Chavez, who spent the year representing the chamber at business events, fiestas and parades. ``You learn to present yourself in different settings.''

Looking beyond the cash scholarships the queen and three princesses receive, Sandoval hopes in the future to provide the winners with internships at local companies to help the young women pursue their careers.

Despite its untraditional twist, the Miss San Fernando pageant still creates the jitters and the friendly competition that most pageants do. But whoever wins the crown tonight at the Odyssey Restaurant in Granada Hills, Torres and her sister know that all of them are winners in the long run.

``We don't even see it as a competition,'' said Lourdes Torres. ``I said to her, If you win, I'll be so proud of you. And if we both don't win, then we'll have met a lot of people.''

CAPTION(S):

6 photos

PHOTO (1 -- color) Miss San Fernando contestant Lourdes Torres, center, tries on a formal dress with her sister, Olivia Torres, left, and Monica Meza.

(2 -- color) Pageant contestant Alma Martinez reads to children at the San Fernando Boys & Girls Club with helper Jose Mercado.

Charlotte (3) Beauty instructor Joyce Munyon asks the other Miss San Fernando contestants what makeup to use on Julie Ahn at a recent beauty and makeup workshop.

(4) Awaiting their turns at interviews with the judges are, from left, Monica Meza, Tara Jett, Olivia Torres, Alma Martinez and Lourdes Torres.

(5) Yolanda Fuentes, center, who was Miss San Fernando in 1995 and chairs this year's pageant, puts together sashes for the contest with Carole Gallegos, left, and Patty Navarro.

(6 -- color) no caption (Miss San Fernando decoration)

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Special to the Daily News