The NEW Miss Nebraska Jr. Teen, Deidre Stevens makes local headlines
Well, NAM FANS - it's official! One National American Miss 2011 pageant has already taken place. April 2-3 hosted this year's Miss Nebraska pageant and we crowned 5 brand new girls who will represent the Big Red state for the next year.
The new 2011 Nebraska Jr. Teen, Deidre Steven, has already gotten her year off to quite a bang as she has already received recognition in her hometown newspaper, continuing to generate support from her community.
Check out Deidre's article as she talks about her quest to the crown and her plans for the next year as Miss Nebraska Jr. Teen 2011. This article was featured in the York Times
The new 2011 Nebraska Jr. Teen, Deidre Steven, has already gotten her year off to quite a bang as she has already received recognition in her hometown newspaper, continuing to generate support from her community.
Check out Deidre's article as she talks about her quest to the crown and her plans for the next year as Miss Nebraska Jr. Teen 2011. This article was featured in the York Times
Local youth wins Miss Nebraska Junior Teen title
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| Photo courtesy of Leesa K. Bartu - Deidre Stevens pictured wearing her tiara for winning the National American Miss Nebraska Junior title along with the trophies she won for placing in two optional competitions. |
By Leesa K. Bartu
STAFF WRITER
EXETER — Some of Deidre Stevens’ dreams came true when the Exeter-Milligan ninth grader was crowned the 2011 National American Miss Nebraska Junior Teen in just her second pageant.Stevens, the daughter of Hope Androyna of Exeter and Chad Stevens of Lincoln, was crowned during the recent Omaha event.
The competiton was a three-day event with Stevens participating in the “casual wear” and the “Top Model” categories. She found this pageant “A great starting point. Everyone was so friendly and it was so geared toward family. We were still marked on our looks, but you have to be well spoken and have personal interviews.”
Keeping along the family-friendly lines, the girls competed in an evening wear competition, a personal introduction, an interview with the judges and an opening dance number. Stevens cleaned up in the optional categories taking first and second.
“Casual Wear” was an opportunity for Stevens to choose an outfit and then model it for the judges. She also wore the outfit for the Top Model category where she, a judge and a professional photographer had a photo shoot. She will receive a portfolio of photos from the photo shoot.
Stevens was thrilled to have her father escort her for the evening wear competition in his dress blues on Saturday night. Sunday evening her nerves were buzzing as the group changed quickly into formal wear and the optional category winners were announced.
The evening began to wrap up as the first nine finalists were announced and then Stevens recalled “a really long speech before I was called as one of the top 10. I was thrilled to make my goal to be in the top 10. When my name was announced as the winner, I knew at that moment my life would change forever. Everything paid off, it was everything I knew I could do and they picked me out of 66 great ladies.”
Stevens hopes to share what she has learned with the young girls in the community. “You can have a goal and can accomplish it. I’m a perfect example, starting out not knowing what is going on to winning the whole thing.”
She will spend the next year making appearances across the state but hopes to make an impact at home. “I hope to spend the year being a role model for young girls, to get out in the community more, to be a representative for Nebraska the best way I can.”
To start, she brought home a huge box of new stuffed animals and books, all donated by other pageant contestants, that she will be distributing to an organization locally. She is also looking for other community service projects.
This pageant, according to the National American Miss organization is “dedicated to developing the success of young women across our nation with a program that is designed to be age-appropriate and family-oriented. Emphasis is placed on the importance of gaining self-confidence, learning new skills, learning good attitudes about competition, and setting and achieving personal goals.”
Stevens will be heading to the national pageant, which will be held in Anaheim, Calif., at Disneyland in November, competing with other state winners for over $500,000 in cash and prizes.
Stevens also participates at Exeter-Milligan on the golf team, in FCCLA, the all-school play, one act play, in band and as a cheerleader. She is also a member of the Exeter American Legion Junior Auxiliary.