First Autistic Delegate Competes as Cardinal City Pageant Returns to SBHS Campus After 15 Years

For the first time in its 22-year history, the Miss and Mr. Cardinal City Pageant at San Bernardino High School (SBHS) will feature a contestant with autism — a milestone organizers say is historic for the program.

The Sept. 20 event also marks the pageant’s return to the SBHS Performing Arts Center after 15 years away. The competition was moved off campus due to a broken air conditioning system and outdated seating, but following recent renovations, the auditorium is ready to welcome the pageant home. There, 12 young men and 16 young women — all seniors — will compete for the coveted crowns in front of a sold-out audience of more than 400.

Among the competitors is senior Abel Marin, the first autistic delegate in the pageant’s history. His participation, said Jaime Rios, founder and director of the pageant and bilingual school outreach worker at SBHS, symbolizes the inclusive spirit of the program and the doors it continues to open for students of all backgrounds.

“This brings me a lot of joy,” said Rios. “That is powerful. It shows students of all abilities that they can lead, represent their city, and have their voices heard.”

On Sept. 8, contestants completed their second round of mock interviews designed to prepare them for the final judging panel, which accounts for 20 percent of their score. Rios said the process equips students for future college and career opportunities. “I don’t want them to fail during their main interview,” he said. “This preparation is for the pageant and for future jobs and scholarships. If they apply to UC Berkeley, these skills will help them.” The questions included, “Win or lose, what have you gained from this experience?” and “Why do you want to represent San Bernardino as Mr. or Miss Cardinal?”

The answers, Rios said, were deeply moving. Many contestants come from single-parent households and parents working multiple jobs. One senior, ranked number one in the Class of 2026, was asked the question, “If you could meet with someone, who would it be and why?” She responded that it would be her mother, explaining that she has not seen her since eighth grade. Now a senior preparing for graduation, she continues to excel academically and lead her class. “These kids don’t let hardship interfere with their academics,” Rios said. “They are AP and honors students who still want to give back to their community.”

Jasmine Estrada is crowned Miss Cardinal City 2024–2025 at the Sept. 21, 2024, Mr. & Miss Cardinal City Pageant as fellow contestants look on.

Winners of the Cardinal City titles go on to serve their city in meaningful ways. Past participants have helped with operations of food drives through CAPSBC, volunteered at San Bernardino Valley College’s Fourth of July celebration, assisted at NFL quarterback Jayden Daniels’ backpack giveaway, and supported the reopening of the Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge alongside Mayor Helen Tran’s office. “Community members are always amazed at how professional and prepared these students in the pageant are.”

The pageant has produced standout alumni, none more inspiring than Dr. Gustavo Alvarez, crowned Mr. Cardinal in 2012. Alvarez immigrated to the United States from El Salvador as a teenager, arriving as a sophomore at SBHS after his family relocated so he could receive proper medical care. His mother, a schoolteacher in El Salvador, made the difficult decision to uproot her life to provide new opportunities for her son.

During his senior year, Alvarez joined the pageant as a delegate and went on to earn the title of Mr. Cardinal 2012. That same year, he invited Rios to his family’s home as he prepared to open his college acceptance letters. Over dinner with pupusas on the table, he opened his letter from Cornell University—his dream school—and broke down in tears when he was denied. Yet alongside that rejection were two acceptances: UCLA and UC Berkeley. Alvarez chose Berkeley and went on to graduate at the very top of its engineering program, one of only a handful of Latinos in the nation to do so.

Determined to fulfill his dream, he later reapplied to Cornell for graduate school, this time earning admission. He completed his Ph.D. in engineering at Cornell, achieving what once seemed impossible. Today, he works as a professional engineer in South Carolina, having beaten out multiple experienced candidates for his current position. “Gustavo is proof of what this pageant can mean,” Rios said. “He overcame obstacles, never let rejection define him, and is now Dr. Alvarez.”

Unlike other pageants that charge $800 to $2,000 per entry, the Miss and Mr. Cardinal City Pageant eliminates financial obstacles. Toyota of San Bernardino provides primary sponsorship, alongside local small businesses, SBHS alumni, and the San Bernardino City Council. “We’ve been blessed with support,” Rios said. “It’s nice to say that people have invested in the program and I don’t have to reach into my own pocket anymore.” The support also extends to helping contestants purchase gowns and formalwear, ensuring every participant has the opportunity to compete on equal footing.

That commitment to accessibility and inclusion will be on full display when the pageant returns to its home campus after 15 years at the Sturges Center for the Fine Arts. Recent renovations to the SBHS Performing Arts Center, including upgraded seating and a repaired air conditioning system, have made it possible to bring the event back.

On Sept. 20, the theater will host a choreographed opening number, a Sportswear/Passion for Fashion segment, and a formalwear presentation with contestants escorted by family or friends, leading up to the crowning of the 2025–2026 Mr. and Miss Cardinal City. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the pageant begins at 6 p.m.

For Rios, now in his 25th year at SBHS, the pageant is about more than titles. “You have to love and respect the city you live in, and to respect it is to take ownership of it,” he said. “Whether these students win the crown or not, they’ve already gained the confidence and preparation to lead.”

Mr. Cardinal Contestants 2025–2026