By: Naiia Lajoie   Lighting up the pageant community with her candor and infectious positivity is 16-year-old Ceejae Minell De Lumen, who took home the title of Miss Filipina Teen International 2022. The junior attending Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco already has a packed schedule, informing me at the time of her interview that she had to hurry off for a group photoshoot of her dance troupe. Ceejae began dancing at the age of 7. She performs several genres; jazz, ballet, contemporary, and hip hop. The former volleyball player ceased the sport to pursue her passion for dance. The decision clearly paid off, as she is currently a member of the APT competitive dance team – the Junior Team of professional dance team, The Company – based in Daly City, CA. The teen attributes her dance experience and comfort performing to giving her that extra edge during competition. But pageantry did not come naturally to Ceejae, as she was initially apprehensive about joining. Nervousness and a lack of confidence wracked her being, especially in a post-pandemic climate where – as a student during the lockdown – she was unable to see her friends, resulting in her feeling closed off. Despite those difficult times of not talking to anyone, she tackled the challenge. “Going into the pageant helped me get back into the space of trying new things,” she reveals. She looked at it as an opportunity to socialize with people again. In her even younger years, Ceejae would often watch the Miss Universe competition, along with Binibining Pilipinas, and practice walking, work on her posture. It was this work ethic and persistence that ultimately put her individuality in the limelight. After overcoming her fears and entering her first pageant, she went on to...... Read more on Full Issue!