Pageant News Bureau - Melissa Maki

P a g e a n t N e w s B u r e a u

South to San Francisco

Photos courtesy of Melissa Maki

In the 19th century, Oregon was the end of the trail for thousands of pioneers. It's still a delightful destination. But Melissa Maki left her home in Oregon and took the trail south. Now she's a California girl.

Oregon was good to her. She reigned as Miss Oregon Teen USA and won the swimsuit award at the Miss Teen USA Pageant. "I just missed the cut" for Teen USA finalists, she recalls. But then she grew up, and like the pioneers, she wanted to see the world.

You might compare her wanderlust to what people felt a century and a half ago, when they rushed to the California gold fields to strike it rich. Though Ms. Maki is not a prospector, she does have a certain kinship with those legendary 49ers. She's a cheerleader for today's 49ers, San Francisco's pro football team.

Ms. Maki, who's studying at the University of San Francisco, has her eye on a career in broadcast journalism. But she's a born dancer, and she even dreams of owning her own dance studio. Cheerleading lets her indulge her love of dance while maintaining her swimsuit body.

If we had a choice between San Francisco and Portland, it would not be an easy one. Both are terrific towns. We thought Ms. Maki might have the same dilemma, so we asked her. Will she stay on the Bay or someday go home to Oregon?

"I might move to L.A.," she said sweetly, "but not right now."

P a g e a n t N e w s B u r e a u