On September 20th, 2025, a new Miss Dinuba winner was crowned. The auditorium fell into silence, and the announcement came. As confetti rained down and cheers and laughter filled the crowd, the title of Miss Dinuba 2026 was awarded to Emmarie Rico!
Six girls from Dinuba High School competed for the title of Miss Dinuba. These hardworking girls had spent weeks preparing for their moment to shine at the pageant. Each of these girls showcased talent and determination to serve our community through the platforms they presented. These dedicated girls did not come out for just a crown and title, but to show their love and support for this town, its children, and community.
Winner, Emmarie Rico’s platform was “The Power of Participation,” which aims to encourage children to get more involved and discover their passions and love, in part to increase their engagement. She shared encouraging words, “87% students involved in extracurricular activities are more likely to stay in school and graduate.” Rico encourages students to be active and get involved in school activities, whether through clubs, sports, or student leadership. This participation not only builds confidence and finds their purpose but also creates a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone feels that they belong. Rico leads by example. She is currently involved in various activities, including serving as ASB vice president. She’s also an honors student and a member of CSF, with a long list of athletic and academic awards, including multiple awards in volleyball, and is involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Miss Dinuba received a $3,000 scholarship.
First runner-up was Muskan Thindal. Her platform focused on generational trauma, titled “Finding your voice and breaking the cycle.” She wants to bring awareness and help children who may be going through or have gone through A.C.E.’s. “About 62% of adults in California have shared that they have gone through generational trauma during childhood.” She wants children to know they are not alone in this and has started a podcast on this situation and brings awareness overall. As the first runner-up, Thindal was awarded a $1,400 scholarship.
Contestant Joanna Bravo was awarded second runner-up. Bravo’s platform, titled “Our voice, our victory,” focused on domestic abuse. Her platform was to spread awareness on domestic abuse and educate kids and young teens about this important topic. She has had her own personal experience with being in a relationship with domestic abuse and gained bravery and confidence to speak about her experience. “I was afraid no one would believe me. And because of that, I stayed silent. However, silence silences those around the victim and hides the truth behind closed doors. But at last, I found the courage to speak.” Her bravery in speaking out to other girls in Dinuba. As the second runner-up, Bravo received an $800 scholarship.
Miss Congeniality, who fellow contestants vote on, was awarded to Melissa Rubio. Her platform was titled “Cultivating Success”, which is to encourage and influence younger children and audiences to disconnect from social media and engage with each other more positively. Rubio stated that education for all students, regardless of their age, is a great privilege and that one shouldn’t take advantage of it. She expressed in her thoughtful monologue, “Education is more than a path to success. It’s the foundation of self-worth, resilience, and opportunity, in a world full of digital distractions, too many young people lose sight of what they can accomplish when they dedicate themselves to investing in their potential.” Miss Congeniality received a $250 scholarship.
Ava Bledsoe and Karmen Rivera rounded out the field of contestants. Bledsoe’s platform aims to encourage kids to engage more with music education and to reduce their time spent on technology. She stated that if children engage themselves in an activity like performing arts, such as music, they can distance themselves from phones and technology. ”Music is a beautiful way to convey messages and express emotion. In our age, children are more connected to technology and can become farther away from the very things they can create with their very own hands,” Bledsoe said. Karmen Rivera’s platform focused on resources and education in underserved communities. Her platform was named “Empower to Success.” She has a great passion for helping her community by lending a helping hand, providing school supplies to children, and offering online educational resources. “Imagine a child beaming with success, but held back, but not by lack of ability, but by lack of access, this is the unfortunate reality for so many of our students nationwide. Over 30 million students will be affected by this in public schools, K-12,” she stated in her monologue.
