I am proud to say that I am the 2024 Elks Rodeo Queen.
With your help, I raised $508,221 to give back to VTC Enterprises to enrich the lives of individuals with disabilities.
Thank you to all my sponsors. Thank you to my committee and my chairman. Thank you to VTC for this opportunity. Thank you to everyone that supported me.
Tori Ortiz – 2024 Queen Candidate
Hi, my name is Tori Ortiz and I am 18 years old. I was born with optic nerve hypoplasia which caused blindness from birth. Even though I have no vision, it has never stopped me from seeing the world.
Currently, I am a senior at Righetti High School. I take pride in being involved in my school including the Warrior Goat program. The program allows students with disabilities to be paired up with a mentor and learn the skills necessary to raise and show goats at the Santa Barbara County Fair, at no cost to them. In July 2023, I won grand champion goat and was top of my class in intermediate showmanship with my breeding doe, who was named Pearl.
After high school I plan to go to community college, transferring afterward to California Polytechnic State University where I will study animal science.
My goal in life is to show that people who are blind can achieve their dreams, no matter how big they are. VTC Enterprises is an organization that helps enrich the lives of adults with disabilities by teaching them vocational skills. I am honored that VTC Enterprises chose me as their Rodeo Queen Candidate for 2024.
Never in my life did I think that my dream of being a Rodeo Queen Candidate for VTC Enterprises would come true. It will be a fun campaign and a very educational experience for me, my family, and my community. Through my campaign I hope to spread awareness about blindness and about adults with developmental disabilities. I also hope to raise a lot of money for VTC and of course, my ultimate dream is to be crowned Rodeo Queen.