For more than three decades, the Manteca Youth Focus (MYF) Scholarship Competition has helped shape young leaders through leadership development, volunteer service, and educational scholarships.
One of its most distinctive features is the Manteca City Ambassador title, which gives young men the opportunity to serve and represent the city alongside their Miss Manteca counterparts.
In 1994, when Dan Lansford, then an East Union High School student leader, was appointed as the first Manteca City Ambassador, MYF made a conscious decision to expand its vision of leadership within an industry which is traditionally viewed as female-driven.
Service, discipline, and civic responsibility became shared expectations for both young women and young men.
Today, Nihar Jain, also an East Union student leader, serves as the 23rd Manteca City Ambassador, continuing that legacy serving alongside Kylie Anderson, the 53rd Miss Manteca.
“MYF challenges us to think beyond ourselves,” Jain said. “It teaches that leadership is not about a title, it is about showing up for your community consistently and with integrity.”
Unlike traditional pageants, the MYF Scholarship Competition intentionally includes young men by offering ambassador titles.
Participants, regardless of gender, are evaluated in six areas of competition: volunteer service, academic achievement, panel interview, public speaking, impromptu on-stage questions, and stage arts.
Every participant receives training in these areas, along with a minimum scholarship while the top four boys and girls in each age division are selected as titleholders, representing MYF and community partnerships including the City of Manteca, the Manteca Sunrise Kiwanis Club Pumpkin Fair, the Manteca Chamber of Commerce Crossroads Watermelon Street Fair, and local winter-holiday events.
Participants are also given the opportunity to lead independent advocacy initiatives in collaboration with local organizations to address community needs.
“MYF has always been about building leaders who serve first,” said Shim Lacy, MYF Co-Founder, Director, and Miss Manteca 1990.
“For more than three decades, we have believed that leadership should be shared, earned through service, and accessible to all youth in our community. The ambassador title reflects a collaborative leadership model that not only strengthens our program but more importantly reflects the heart and values of the Family City.”
In recent years, the program has continued to grow.
Upper division winners now each receive a 5,000 dollar scholarship, reinforcing the organization’s long-standing commitment to preparing youth for higher education and future careers.
As part of his year of service, Jain has launched an initiative to honor all 23 Manteca City Ambassadors by placing their portraits in the Manteca Museum alongside the historic Miss Manteca titleholders displayed since 1968.
The project formally recognizes the contributions of past Ambassadors and preserves their legacy within the city’s history.
Jain is working on behalf of the MYF Board of Directors to reconnect with all former Manteca City Ambassadors in preparation for a special recognition ceremony during the 2026 Scholarship Competition on June 26 and 27.
The official portraits of each of them will become part of a permanent display at the Manteca Historical Society that same month. Community members who are in contact with former Ambassadors, or Ambassadors who have not yet connected with MYF, are encouraged to email MantecaYouthFocus@gmail.com to help ensure every Ambassador is invited and recognized.
The 23 Manteca City Ambassadors honored to date include:
- Daniel Lansford, 1994-95
- Clifford Chamberlain, 1996
- Robert Heacox, 1998
- Dr. Jose Bosque, Jr., 1999
- Carl Lindberg, 2000
- Trystan Blair, 2001-02
- Matthew Vaughan, 2004
- Caleb Draper, 2005
- James Reed, 2006
- Greg Atherton, 2008
- Horst Bauer, 2009
- Dalton Harris, 2010
- Taylor Hasal, 2012
- John Dumaguing, 2013
- Colton Harris, 2014
- Lechi Nkwocha, 2015
- Nathanel Padilla, 2016
- Gabriel Ortega, 2017
- Scott Whitby, 2021
- Landon Wolfe, 2022
- Erfan Ballew, 2023
- Jaden Gallego, 2024
- Nihar Jain, 2025
Registration for the 2026 competition is now underway.
The MYF Scholarship Competition is open to boys and girls ages 10 through 20 who live or attend school in Manteca, Ripon, Lathrop, River Islands, French Camp or Weston Ranch. Visit mantecayouthfocus.org/compete for registration form and complete details.
