Moab resident Kaylan Young, the 17-year-old daughter of Erin and KL Young, was recently crowned Miss Teen of Utah 2017.
As Miss Teen of Utah, Young will serve as an inclusion ambassador for American Pageants’ charitable campaign: Special Olympics’ Spread the Word to End the Word. As a titleholder in the American Pageants Organizations, she will have the opportunity to compete for the national title of Miss Teen of America 2018 and over $30,000 in scholarships, cash, travel and prizes in Orlando, Florida, in November 2017.
The candidates vying for the title of Miss Teen of America will compete in six categories of judging:
scholastic achievement; service to school and community; personal development, personality poise and projection in evening wear; a general awareness test; and interview.
“This pageant is not a beauty pageant, with 60 percent of our judging completed prior to the judges even seeing the young ladies,” Miss Teen of America President Sunny Hill said. “The American Pageants Organization highlights achievement and promotes confidence in the leaders of tomorrow.”
The Miss Teen of America Scholarship and Recognition Program was founded in 1983 by Warren Alexander, a former educator and pageant director, and designed to help America’s youth reach their full potential. The scholastically based pageant recognizes young women for their outstanding personal achievements, leadership abilities, and artistic, creative or athletic talents. With no judging focused on beauty or attire, the pageant strives to promote confidence and an accent on achievement.
Young ladies between the ages of 7 and 24 are eligible to participate in the program, which culminates with a national competition this coming November in Orlando.
