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San Marcos resident Isabel Amayrani Rhodes will be representing San Marcos in the Miss California USA competition this September. Courtesy photo
San Marcos resident Isabel Amayrani Rhodes will be representing San Marcos in the Miss California USA competition this September. Courtesy photo
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San Marcos resident to compete in Miss California USA

SAN MARCOS — San Marcos resident Isabel Amayrani Rhodes has been selected to represent the city of San Marcos at the Miss California USA/Miss California Teen USA Competition as Miss San Marcos USA.

Rhodes, a Cal State San Marcos (CSUSM) alumna, was actually born and raised in Fallbrook but moved to San Marcos for college.

“I’m beyond excited to represent our lovely San Marcos,” Rhodes said. “I’ve grown into a confident woman and I owe it to the experiences I’ve had in San Marcos. This is my home, and I hope to make it proud.”

The 27-year-old has chosen mental health awareness as the platform she would like to focus on.

“My platform is mental health awareness because it has shaped such a huge part of who I am today. Although I am at my most stable point in my life, I had moments where I no longer felt motivated to keep going,” Rhodes said. “I am diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, bipolar II, borderline personality disorder, ADHD, and bulimia. Two years ago, I had experiences that lead to attempting death by suicide.”

She became certified in Mental Health First Aid during her time at CSUSM and is now a crisis counselor through Crisis Text Line and an advocate for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

She plans on furthering her career by attending law school in the near future. After completing her legal education, she plans on becoming a sex crimes prosecutor.

“Overall, I want to let others who struggle with mental illness that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am here to support others and remind them that they are more than enough,” Rhodes said.

The competition, which will be held this September, will be Rhodes’ first-ever pageant.

“I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie and love to do things outside of my comfort zone,” Rhodes said. “I lacked confidence and figured participating in a pageant was probably the most effective way to break out of my shell.”

Girlbossing Inc., as the California USA Organization, will produce and conduct the upcoming competition to qualify two young ladies from California to advance to either Miss Teen USA or Miss USA and ultimately Miss Universe.

“We actively encourage young women in the state of California to give back in their communities and advocate for issues they feel passionately towards,” said Girlbossing Inc. CEO Robin Ross-Fleming. “Our organization is committed to providing new opportunities for women in media, entertainment, modeling, fashion, beauty and more, at our events throughout the year, and the actual weekend of competition.”