Gillett seventh-grader Ashley Britton recently was crowned National Junior Teen Miss at the 2014 Dream Girls USA Pageant in St. Louis, Missouri.
She is the daughter of Jim and Vicky Britton, of Cecil.
“I was happy to find out that I had made it into the Top 20 after competing with such amazing and talented young ladies, but I was absolutely overwhelmed when I heard my name being announced as the National Junior Teen Miss!” Ashley said. “It was truly a moment of a lifetime.”
She was also awarded Best Overall Personality.
Ashley was judged on public speaking, community service, personality, poise and modeling. Ashley competed against 300 other girls at nationals from July 8-13. It is a natural pageant, so very little makeup is allowed.
In March, Ashley won Junior Hi-Point Champion for the state of Wisconsin, which put her into the running for a national title.
She began the national competition with her spokesmodel speech, talking about her platforms of craniosynostosis awareness and literacy, her community service and her ambitions. Then she modeled in formal wear, fashion runway and casual wear.
Being National Junior Teen Miss will give Ashley a chance to promote awareness of craniosynostosis, premature closure of the skull sutures. Ashley underwent surgery for this condition as an infant. Her surgery took place at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, by Dr. Ben Carson, and this condition was something most doctors didn’t even know how to treat 30 years ago.
Ashley has signed on as spokesperson for the National Children’s Craniofacial Association. She is collecting small snap or zip pajamas, size infant to 1 year old, and sunhats for babies who are going to have surgery for craniosynostosis, plus writing journals for their parents. These donations can be dropped off at the Gillett Public Library, care of National Junior Teen Miss, before Aug. 20.
During her time in St. Louis, she attended a masquerade ball and a pizza/pool party and visited the St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Arch, the Crown Candy Kitchen, the City Museum and Aquarium, Route 61 Roadhouse, Webster Groves Assisted Living, Ted Drewes and the famous Clydesdale horses at Grant Farm.
“It was a great week,” she said.
The Britton family is starting to create a schedule for appearances, which will include the Disney Christmas Parade in Chicago and the Wisconsin State Fair and local fairs.
Ashley plans to work with the Gillett Public Library and help to kick off the new Community Center in Gillett. She will also be an ambassador at the Holiday Spirit Pageant and Food Drive for Charity in Wisconsin Dells and for the Holiday Spirit Train out of Canada. She will participate in charity runs and appear at state pageants around the U.S. before returning to Nationals next year.
“We are thrilled!” Vicky Britton said. “It is going to be an extremely busy year, but this truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and she can help save babies through awareness.”
Ashley is open to appearing at charity events as her schedule allows. She can be contacted at nationaljuniorteenmiss@plbb.us.
Categories
