GUILDERLAND — Rachel Guyer, 13 and an eighth-grader at Farnsworth Middle School, won the National American Miss pageant’s Volunteer Service Award at the state pageant in August, which earned her a spot in this year’s national competition.

State pageants are held throughout the country for girls ages 4 to 18 in five different age divisions.

This is Rachel’s fourth year doing this pageant, her mother, Lori Guyer, said, and the first time she has won anything. Mother and daughter chose this pageant, which is the only one Rachel takes part in, Lori Guyer said, because it focuses on “valuable life skills,” like volunteering, public speaking, and poise and confidence.

Pageant contestants track their volunteer hours over the past three years, and Rachel had more than 500 hours, most of them over the last two years, her mother said. Many of those hours were spent at the Guilderland and Voorheesville libraries, volunteering with summer reading programs and the Book Buddies program, which helps younger children with their reading. She has also served guests at the St. John’s Welcome Kitchen, a soup kitchen in Albany.

Girl Scouts, playing the violin, singing in school and church choirs, playing handbells, and performing in the school musical are all among Rachel’s interests, said her mother, although her first love is dancing.

Rachel will join girls from around the country at Disneyland in Anaheim, California during Thanksgiving week. She will be competing in the Pre-Teen Division.