Sandra Gin only wanted to help behind the scenes, but she ended up in the spotlight.

The 28-year-old Matthew McNair High School teacher won the title of Miss B.C. 2009 on Sunday night in Langley where the finale of the pageant was held.

“I never expected to be the winning one, so I never even thought about what I’d do with the title. I never actually prepared for that because I never thought I’d win,” said Gin.

Diksha Chellaramani, the other participant from Richmond who won the title of Miss Congeniality, road the bus with Gin to Langley during the pageant.

“I think she is an incredible human being who has immense inner beauty. The pageant was about being beautiful from the inside and she totally deserved to win,” said Chellaramani. “She is going to be a great role model to a lot of young girls.”

Gin hadn’t planned on entering the pageant as a contestant, originally. She had just wanted to lend a hand and be a mentor to the girls.

Darren Storsley, the director of the Miss B.C. Pageant, who met Gin in May had other ideas, however.

“I initially asked if I could help him with the organizational part of it. He’s a high school teacher and so am I,” said Gin. “But no, he didn’t want me helping, he thought I should be in it.”

Storsley saw great potential and leadership in Gin and encouraged her to participate in the competition. He was happy she did so well in the pageant.

“It’s the first time we’ve had a teacher win Miss B.C.,” said Storsely who has enjoyed working with her. “I’m just delighted. Richmond should be proud of her.”

The pageant was a new challenge for Gin, through which she learned a lot.

“It’s been really life-changing,” said Gin, confessing to having a negative stereotype of pageants in the beginning. “At first I was kind of reluctant to do it, then I read the mission statement and agreed to do it.”

Both Gin and Storsley said the pageant isn’t primarily about exterior beauty.

“It’s about making a difference,” said Gin.

The Miss B.C. Pageant is an annual competition that supports the Canadian Cancer Society. Part of the pageant involves all of the contestants fundraising money that gets donated to Cops for Cancer.

“That was really my motivation. I felt I really should start helping out with charities, and the opportunity came at the right time,” said Gin.

On her own, Gin raised almost $2,000. In total, all of the participants fundraised $16,500.

During Sunday night’s four-hour finale, Gin and the other contestants did several outfit changes and conducted a private interview before the 10 judges, as well as a public interview.

Each contestant was also asked one question they had to answer in 45 seconds. Gin was asked what the most valuable thing she learned during the pageant was.

“What I really focused on was how being in the pageant gave me a sense of being in a community and how inspiring it is when people come together to help a big cause,” she said. “And spending time with all the girls that came from all over the province. All of us had the same mindset.”

Modest about her win, Gin is looking forward to using the title of Miss B.C. to reach out to other people.

“There’s absolutely no prizes, but the title and crown,” said Gin. “The title is really what you make off it.”

Now that the pageant is over, Gin plans on volunteering more time to fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society, with a goal of holding a fundraiser every month. She hopes she can be a mentor, not only at next year’s Miss B.C. Pageant, but also to her Grade 12 students.

“I really want my students and young people in Richmond to remember that they can achieve whatever they put their mind to.”