Ten young women, including three queens, were crowned as royalty on April 12 during the 62nd Annual Miss Poway Scholarship Pageant.
The top three reigning queens are Miss Poway Presley Smith, Miss Teen Poway Maielle Burkett, and Miss Junior Teen Poway Alayna Caaway.
Miss Poway is accompanied by three princesses — Miss Poway 1st Princess Ava Wang; Miss Poway 2nd Princess Bibiana Deguzman; and Miss Poway 3rd Princess Leila Macias.
The two teen princesses are Miss Teen Poway 1st Princess Daniela Gabrelyan and Miss Teen Poway 2nd Princess Kaydence Espineli.
The two junior teen princesses are Miss Jr Teen Poway 1st Princess Stella Sappenfield and Miss Jr Teen Poway 2nd Princess Akane Caaway.
Don Sheffler
Three queens and seven princesses were crowned in the 62 Annual Miss Poway Scholarship Pageant held April 12. (Don Sheffler)
The top queen for 2026, Presley Smith, said her track record of entering pageant contests finally paid off. She has participated in the Miss Poway and Miss Rancho Bernardo contests in the past without winning, but last year won the title of Miss Teen Poway 2nd Princess.
“I was really surprised about winning but I felt very proud because I’ve been doing pageants for four years now,” said Smith, 16.
The junior at Mt. Carmel High School in Rancho Penasquitos shared her interest in competitive cheer leading with the pageant audience by displaying her cheer jacket on stage.
She said the jacket highlighted her success at winning the nationals contest with her Mt. Carmel High team in Las Vegas this past February. Before starting to compete a year ago, she had been cheerleading at high school football and basketball games since she was a freshman, she said.
“We had a new coach this year and she’s really great,” said Smith, who competes with her Cheer teammate and sister, Aubrey Smith, 14.
Aubrey also competed in the Miss Poway Scholarship Pageant this year and won the Most Photogenic and Fan Favorite awards.
As the lead queen, Smith said she is looking forward to working with the pageant sponsor Kiwanis Club of Poway and other inspirational leaders.
“I just hope I can make a lot of memories and do my job in the community well,” said the Rancho Bernardo resident. “Everyone on the court has the same opportunities with what they can do in the community as long as they put their best foot forward.”
Smith, whose parents are Melanie and Chris Smith, said she aspires to study biology or forensic sciences after high school.
Maielle Burkett, 15, is the new Miss Teen Poway. The sophomore at Mt. Carmel High lives in Rancho Penasquitos.
Maielle said she entered the Miss Poway Pageant for the scholarship opportunities but mostly to try something new and meet new people.
Her hobbies are cheerleading, dive and gymnastics, which she participates in for her school.
Maielle introduced a globe on stage as an object that represents her because she said she “wants to lead with kindness no matter where she goes in the world.”
As Miss Teen Poway she said she expects to attend community events and fundraisers and participate in the Poway Parade but she is particularly looking forward to attending the Poway Rodeo.
“It’s such an honor to do this and I’m really excited to represent Poway,” Maielle said. “I’m really excited about the Poway Rodeo and I’m excited to see it again this year.”
After graduating high school, Maielle aims to attend the U.S, Naval Academy and become a fighter jet pilot. Her parents are Lindsay and Brandon Burkett.
The youngest of the three queens is 13-year-old Miss Junior Teen Poway Alayna Caaway.
The Mesa Verde Middle School seventh-grader attends school and lives in Rancho Penasquitos.
Alayna’s favorite hobby is volleyball but she also plays piano at an intermediate level and performs Tahitian dances.
Alayna said she will be sharing experiences as royalty this year with her twin sister, Akane Caaway, who won the title of Miss Jr Teen Poway 2nd Princess this year.
When asked on stage what new school rule she would create, Alayna said she would enforce the no bullying rule because she said “it’s not nice for people and it’s not benefitting the bully.”
As the former Miss City of San Diego for 2025-26, Alayna said she is looking forward to continuing her service to the community through the Miss Poway activities.
“I was so excited when I won because I had tried the pageant for three years and never placed,” Alayna said. “Some hard work went into the past eight weeks and I got to meet so many people. I’m grateful I get to represent so many people in our great community.”
Alayna, whose parents are April and Michael Caaway, plans to study nursing after high school.