Whether it is academics, sports, fitness, modeling or working—personal growth seems to come down to individual performance and a desire to meet challenges head on.

Emma Baker is a confident, principled, self-motivated, ambitious and free-spirited 18 year old graduate of Poway High School who now attends Palomar College in San Diego. She works part-time at her father’s business and for two years has been dipping her feet into the world of modeling and fashion. Emma was prompted to compete in the 2010 MISS CALIFORNIA TEEN USA® pageant by her desire to meet new performance challenges and to forge new paths on her journey to self-discovery.

When Emma was ten years old she discovered her love for soccer. She played competitively for seven years and experienced all manner of life lessons, including the pain and frustration of injury. She won championships, made friends and learned that her best games were always the ones that tested her own personal mettle. She benefited from focusing on improving her own game rather than comparing herself to others.

Emma continues to appreciate the importance of individual performance while working as a model for different manufacturers, designers, entrepreneurs and professional photographers. She loves both “sides” of the camera and the energy-based momentum of a quality photo shoot. Both modeling and soccer have proven to her the importance of conditioning and that staying fit and healthy is something she can’t live without! One of her several professional goals includes earning a personal training certification.

Have you ever known someone who can go from glamorous to cozy in two seconds? Emma is that type of girl! She loves Poway, the outdoors, hanging out with her family, friends and her three dogs. When she isn’t driving to LA, taking classes or working for her dad, one can usually find her either at the gym, on the hiking trails, tanning at the beach or eating frozen yogurt at the local shop.

She loves to travel and hopes that this opportunity will take her to new places. She has already visited many states including AZ, CT, FL, ME, NH, NY, PA, UT, VA, VT, and WA. Emma has also traveled internationally to Goeteberg, Sweden to play in the Gothia Cup, a Soccer Youth World Cup and to many locales in Italy including Tuscany, Capri, Rome, Naples, Florence and Venice. She has visited Geneva and Gstaad in Switzerland and has also traveled to Costa Rica! Emma dreams of visiting Greece, Australia and Alaska in the future.

Becoming MISS CALIFORNIA TEEN USA 2010 has strengthened Emma’s personal vision. She looks forward to the opportunities ahead, especially her role to represent the state of California in the 2010 MISS TEEN USA® pageant, in August. Aside from her personal ambitions, she intends to make lasting connections with people in the California community through appearances and charity work.

Emma understands that personal growth and empowerment come from taking risks and meeting challenges directly—being able to perform in life authentically every day as herself is Emma’s secret to her success.

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” E.E. Cummings