Local girl crowned 2011 Miss Junior Pre-Teen

At only 9 years old, Leyla Kalmaz is already heading for greatness.

Having won the 2011 Miss Junior Pre-Teen Beauty Pageant on April 17 — her first pageant ever — the young West Hempstead girl is moving on to the national round later this year to compete against winners from across the country.

“If Leyla wins at Nationals, this will be the largest reward title,” the girl’s mother, Jackie Kalmaz, recently told the Herald. “This will put Leyla more in the public eye. She will definitely pursue [a career] in the industry if she wins. If she does not win … she can definitely try again next year and come back stronger.”

Leyla, who attends third grade at the George Washington School, first became interested in pageantry through the encouragement of friends and family members who often complimented her character. “[They] would always say to us that Leyla has a certain charisma, natural beauty, sweet personality and is very sociable,” her mother said. So, Leyla began auditioning for television commercials, magazine advertisements and even the Disney Channel. Soon after, she decided to try out for the Miss Junior pageant.

And the talent must be hereditary, as several of the Kalmaz’s relatives have experience acting and modeling. Leyla’s father, Oktay Kalmaz, has himself acted in television commercials and been cases in a few movies as an extra. He had once been a professional dancing instructor.

Both of Leyla’s parents and her 5-year-old brother, Jon-Demir, are proud of her achievements, Jackie Kalmaz said. They’re also glad to see the positive effect pageantry has had on the girl. Participating in pageants “benefits Leyla by giving her an opportunity to be involved in a large group of young ladies all wanting to reach the same goal of growing and building self-confidence,” Kalmaz said.

Being part of a group itself is beneficial to Leyla, according to her mother. “Leyla instantly took to the girls in her age group like she knew them for such a long time,” she said. “Leyla has that quality of making the other contestants comfortable and be themselves.”

That quality shines through in other aspects of Leyla’s life: she is a proud and active member of Girl Scout Troop 1019, so much so that she showcased her Girl Scout uniform as her casual wear for the pageant. She has also been cheerleading for two years for the West Hempstead Broncos.

As she enters fourth grade in the fall, Leyla will continue to prepare for the national competition, set to take place on Dec. 14 in Orlando, Fla., where she will represent New York in the 7 to 9 age group.

Part of that preparation, according to Kalmaz, is encouraging Leyla to try her best and have fun, whether she wins or loses. And, apparently, that is advice the young girl has taken to heart. “The most important thing about being in the beauty pageant is making a lot of new friends,” Leyla told the Herald. “I wish we could all win. [I] hope all my friends have a good time.”