PLACENTIA : You Could Just Call Her ‘Achiever’

When 17-year-old Prachi Karnik flew to Santa Rosa to join in the recent California Young Woman of the Year competition, her goal was to break even financially.

The cost of her plane ticket and clothes she needed for the event cost about $150.

If she placed in the top six in just one of five categories--interview, scholastic achievement, creative or performing arts, fitness, presence and composure--the $300 in scholarship money would pay for the trip and maybe a college application or two, she figured.

“I took it as a game and went there hoping to have fun and make some friends,” Prachi said. “I was not expecting to win.”

But Prachi won more than enough to break even.

Prachi, a senior at Valencia High School in Placentia, won one category and placed in two others, winning $6,100 in scholarship money.

It was also enough for her to be the first alternate to the contest winner.

To qualify for the competition, which was held Aug. 5-17, Prachi entered the Orange County regional competition in April.

During that one-day event, she competed against 14 others and was one of four chosen to represent the region at the state level.

The state contest was more rigorous, involving 12 days of interviews and competitions involving 65 young women from across California.

In the performing and creative arts segment, she placed among the top six for her sketch of John F. Kennedy, which she drew as she gave a speech on the lack of recognition given to artists while they are alive.

She also was chosen the competition’s top scholar, based on transcripts provided by her school and on her Scholastic Aptitude Test scores.

Despite the inevitable intensity of such a competition, Prachi came home with happy memories along with her scholarship money.

“It was a wonderful experience. I met a lot of wonderful people who I am keeping in touch with,” she said. “We’re planning a reunion.”

Prachi, who is of East Indian descent, has won numerous school awards and served as the Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation Ambassador to Valencia.

But she said the Young Woman of the Year was her first such competition.

“I liked that this one didn’t revolve around just one aspect such as talent or appearance,” Prachi said. “I would definitely enter more contests like this.”

But finding the time to do so probably will be a challenge. When Prachi returns to high school next week, she will not only have her studies, but also extracurricular activities such as varsity tennis, president of the student body, and student representative to the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District.

If that’s not enough, Prachi also is a teen commissioner on the Placentia Parks and Recreations Commission and volunteers as a telephone operator for the Jerry Lewis Labor Day telethon.

Prachi said volunteering is as important to her as academics and her leadership roles at school.

“I do a lot of volunteer work because I think it is important to give and not just receive,” she said.