Pageant Planet

Alayah Benavidez was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Growing up, Alayah’s ambitions did not know any limits. Dreams of becoming a professional model, pageant queen, author and professor were never just dreams to her, they were something she could make a reality.We all know that most pageant queen success stories do not come without some sort of hardship along the way. In high school, Benavidez was diagnosed with dyslexia and was told she should switch her classes to get additional help, and that she should expect a change in her grades. While these professionals probably had good intentions with telling Alayah the reality of what her expectations should be, this simply did not fit into Alayah’s mindset.Dyslexia could have been the disability that held Alayah back, but instead to propelled her forward, stronger and more determined than ever. Her life motto then became, “work smarter and strive harder.” This helped her excel in AP and dual credit classes.Alayah knows how important reading and writing is