Maya Lessenger, Miss Fountain Valley 2026
Photo by Austin Ryde
Miss Fountain Valley 2025 Court with Isabel Tuman, Britney Lam and Lauren Worley and Jackelyn Carbajal
Congratulations to the Miss Fountain Valley 2026 Court:
1st Runner Up, Malia Walker and 2nd Runner Up, Phoebe Nguyen
Photo by Elsa Ly.
CONTACT : slicata@prodigy.net
Photo by Elsa Ly
MISS FOUNTAIN VALLEY 2025:
Jackelyn Carbajal is a cum laude graduate of California State University, San Bernardino, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration Marketing. Jackelyn is a Senior Digital Fundraising Specialist at PBS SoCal and aspires to become a Digital Creative Director for children’s programming.
Her community service initiative, A Smile for a Child, is aimed at creating a turning point in a child’s life despite any obstacles they’re facing. She partners with non-profits such as Make-A-Wish, LA Works, Amuse Autism Foundation and Zuni Pueblo Organization. This year through her initiative, she has impacted over 500 families across Southern California and granted 29 wishes as a Wish Granter. Now, she will continue to create Kids for Wish Kids clubs in Orange County for upcoming Wish Makers to be apart of her philanthropy efforts. She also leads fundraising efforts for CHOC and hosts public speaking workshops for nonprofits that support 7-12 grade students.
Recently being awarded the Golden Positivity Award at Miss California, Jackelyn believes the power of storytelling will create a pathway for others to follow her initiative’s mission to grant more wishes and increase awareness in education equality. Thanks to the Miss America Opportunity and Miss Fountain Valley Scholarship Program, she earned over $6,200 in scholarships.
Cathleen McGrath Photography
Samantha Nicart and Maya Lessenger, 2026 Teen and Miss Winners.
Photos by Elsa Ly
Maya Lessenger currently holds the title of Miss Fountain Valley 2026. She is a dedicated community leader whose work spans youth engagement, safety education, and family support. Maya serves her community as a lifeguard at the Huntington Beach Hyatt, a K–1 teacher at Congregation B’nai Tzedek, a substitute teacher at The Pegasus School, and volunteers as a youth group director. She also brings joy to children and families through her work performing at events as a princess entertainer. Maya aspires to become a business owner, combining her creativity, and passion for service to build a company that uplifts and empowers her community.
Maya’s community service initiative is the American Heart Association, saving one heart at a time because every heartbeat matters. Her initiative focuses on expanding CPR accessibility and education throughout Orange County, especially for students, underserved families, and the Deaf community. In her year of service, Maya will teach CPR awareness, heart-health basics, and emergency readiness to as many people as possible through school visits, community workshops, and partnerships with local organizations. Her goal is to build a heart-safe culture where every person feels confident taking action in an emergency.
Although early in her year as Miss Fountain Valley, Maya is committed to growing her outreach and creating sustainable, youth-friendly CPR educational programs that will continue long after her reign.
Maya was recently honored with the Stewardship Award Scholarship, recognizing her commitment to responsibility, leadership, and meaningful service. Thanks to the Miss America Opportunity and the Miss Fountain Valley Scholarship Program, she has earned scholarships that support her academic and entrepreneurial goals, scholarships that have inspired her to pursue a four-year university, a path she hadn’t planned on before. She is honored to represent Fountain Valley as she begins a year dedicated to service, and heart-health advocacy.