Newmarket resident Manha Yusef was crowned Miss Teenage Newmarket at Miss Teen Canada’s provincial pageant in Toronto last Sunday.
With that, Manha will be one of many young women, aged between 13 to 18, eligible to compete at the organization’s national pageant to be crowned Miss Canada 2025.
“I am very proud to be named the Miss Teenage Newmarket 2025 title holder and to be a delegate for the national pageant representing Newmarket,” she said. “It was my dream to get into provincials and so I am very excited about going on to the national level.”
Newmarket residents may recognize Manha from her many philanthropic efforts within the town over the years. Alongside her sister, Laiba, the two have supported homelessness, food insecurity, and mental health efforts with various fundraising and volunteer work through their initiative Stamp out Stigma for Mental Health.
Her strong background in volunteer community work made Manha a standout among those at the pageant, who have been encouraging talented teenagers to become ambassadors of causes close to them since 2008.
Manha, who is currently in Grade 8 at Stonehaven Elementary School, explained the process behind the provincial pageant on Feb 2.
“You have to wear lots of fancy clothing, which you are marked on. There was also a very big interview, which I passed, too. Now I go to nationals, and if I get that, then I go on to internationals.”
Sister Laiba will be competing in this weekend’s Junior Regional Canada pageant in Sudbury and is hoping to be crowned Miss Preteen Canada 2025.
“I am very proud of my sister as well for competing in the preteen pageant and I feel very happy that she is doing what I did,” Yusef said.