There are those who would contend that we are all merely sums of our experiences.

Of all the lessons that Riley Fidler learned at the recent Miss Lancaster County Teen competition, among the most important were the ones about herself. What she discovered is that when you put yourself out there - when you simply be yourself - good things happen.

It's the type of experience that may be more valuable than any crown or scholarship or title.

"I think I learned I'm a lot stronger than I thought," said Riley. "I didn't think I was pageant material. I'm so glad I mustered up the courage to do it. The sisterhood is so genuine, and it was just a wonderful experience."

Near the end of September, Riley took top honors in the teen division at the 2026 Miss Lancaster County Scholarship Competition, held at Ephrata High School. A senior at Conestoga Valley High School, Riley accumulated the most total points from four different judged categories - a six-minute private interview, a talent presentation, evening wear and an onstage question, and lifestyle and fitness in active wear.

Also competing in the age 13 to 17 division were Addi Scheirer, Susannah Schelling, Alison Heisey, and Rae Leininger, all of Ephrata High School.

"Of the five of us, I truly believe any of us could've won," said Riley. "It was kind of a stressful day because I was competing as I was learning about pageants, because I had never done it before. I have really big dreams in general. It's a lot more than a beauty pageant; it's a lot more about intelligence, your platform, and what people want to speak on."

In addition to capturing the title of Miss Lancaster County Teen for a year, Riley earned an opportunity to compete in the Miss Pennsylvania Teen competition in York in June. Confident, personable and bright, Riley also won a pair of scholarships for garnering the highest scores from the seven judges for her response to the onstage question and the manner in which she handled the six-minute interview.

"We were all onstage, lined up and holding hands," said Riley. "To announce the winner, (the officials) counted down the places. When I found out I won, I was screaming and crying and kind of freaking out. My family was so supportive. It was an incredible moment."

Her involvement in the Miss Lancaster County Teen competition has afforded Riley an opportunity to formulate and develop a platform for shining a spotlight on the societal issue of childhood trauma, something with which she has some personal experience. Within the Conestoga Valley School District, Riley assists with the Tiny Tunes program, which is designed to help 12- to 36-month-olds learn and play.

"I was pretty confident in my private interview," said Riley. "I've been doing plays and acting since I was 6 years old, and I think my experience with theater and being onstage helped me. I think I'm a good communicator, or at least I try to be. I think something else that helped me is I went in without a lot of expectations. I didn't have a lot riding on it."

Over the last 10 years, Riley has appeared in as many as 50 theatrical performances with local drama groups like Ephrata Performing Arts, Cavod Performing Arts, Servant Stage and Creative Pursuits. Riley's future plans include college, and she is considering a major in musical theater and a minor in marketing and communications.

"I've applied to six schools, and I want to hear back from all of them (before I make a decision)," said Riley, who is also active in the high school chorus at Conestoga Valley. "I got into West Chester (University), and a lot of my family members have gone there. I'm hoping to do some sort of remote job so I can still be performing. I enjoy doing theater, and I'd like to do it professionally as long as I can. I'm also about communications and marketing, but theater really has my heart."