Daughter of Steins’ owners vying for Miss California 2013

Back in September, Steins restaurant opened at 731 Clement, offering burgers, beer and a variety of German food. It’s a family run business with Mom and Dad Steiner at the helm, and at least five other family members helping out at the bar, waiting tables and manning the kitchen.

One of the Steiners, 24-year old Veronica, is embarking on a new adventure on her own. The challenge? To become Miss California.

She first got the idea when she came across an ad in a magazine, promoting the Miss California USA competition. It’s the “regional” round of a larger competition where the winner moves onto the Miss USA pageant, and the winner of that to the Miss Universe pageant (where hopefully, Donald Trump behaves himself).

Veronica applied, submitted some photos and got a phone screening. That led to an in-person interview where she was offered a spot in the competition, taking place in January of next year.

“I’m really excited and nervous, I don’t know exactly what to expect,” Veronica said about the upcoming competition. She’s never been in any kind of pageant contest before.

Her main reason for entering the competition was the potential prize – a full-ride scholarship to college and a chance to do work for a charity of your choice in the U.S.

She spent last year doing literacy tutoring for 3rd graders in Santa Rosa with the Americorps program.

“It would be great to be able to do work like that again,” she says.

The Miss California USA competition, which will take place in L.A. or Palm Springs in January of next year, consists of three parts: the gown competition, swimsuit competition and an interview portion. Veronica expects to be strongest in her interview, but says it’s also the part she’s most nervous about.

“Being able to truly convey who I am in the short amount of time you’re being judged” will be the greatest challenge, she says.

There will be 250 women in the competition, so making a memorable impression is crucial. Veronica says she’ll enlist the help of a coach to help her prepare for the competition, but mostly, she’ll just try to be herself.

“I’m a really hard worker, I enjoy giving back, and I believe in being a good person and paying it forward,” she said when asked why she would make a good Miss California. “I’m also a strong advocate for education and literacy.”

There’s a lot of work leading up to the competition, including raising funds to cover the $2,000 entry fee plus expenses associated with the competition like gowns, coaches, professional photos and other prep work.

Veronica works full-time at Steins and says she’s also planning various fundraising events. There’s a small donation box at the restaurant for patrons who want to support her journey, and she has an online fundraising page.

“People who come into Steins have been so supportive,” Veronica says. “It makes me feel amazing. I love our neighborhood – it’s a like a small town in a big city.”

Veronica is the youngest of seven, including five brothers who got her into sports and competition. But it was her older sister that instilled her love for dressing up and indulging her more girly side. “I think I’m pretty well-balanced,” Veronica says.

Until the competition, you’ll find Veronica working at Steins five days a week, waiting tables, greeting customers, and helping our wherever her family needs it.

“I love working with my family. They are all really excited for me to be in the competition.”

Sarah B.