There she is

A pageant just isn't a pageant without a swimsuit or eveningwear competition, right?

Wrong.

Michaela Scott is living proof of that.

Scott, a 17-year-old senior at Jackson High School, was crowned Miss Teen of Missouri 2016 during the summer, and said she was able to earn the accolade (along with a $1,000 scholarship) almost exclusively because of her most attractive attribute: her brain.

"This organization is really different, obviously," she said.

Scott first competed in the Miss Teen of America Scholarship and Recognition Pageant in junior high. When the opportunity arose to participate again, she applied and was accepted.

During the three-day event, contestants are judged on points such as their scholastic records, achievements, school and community service activities, personal development, talent and skills. The young women even take a written test to gauge their general awareness of current events and culture.

The pageant does include a formalwear segment, but contestants aren't judged on how they look.

Instead, the judges look for the confidence and presence the young women project when they walk into a room.

All in all, Scott said she learned a lot from being part of the pageant and was happy to be singled out for her accomplishments.

"It was just amazing to me, all these girls who focused more on school than what they looked like, and all these girls who place value on community service," Scott said.

As the current state titleholder, Scott, an avid speech and debate student who aspires to become a prosecuting attorney, is preparing to set her own community-service project in motion by inviting a group of Special Olympic athletes to be part of an anti-bullying conversation at school.

She's not sure whether it will be a panel discussion or something that happens in a more informal setting, but her plans will solidify soon.

"I just want to do as much with my title as I can," she said.

Because of her win, Scott will advance to the Miss Teen of America competition in Minneapolis in November. If she wins, she will be eligible for $20,000 in scholarships and prizes.

ljones@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3652