Growing up as a little person, Makenzie Stevens was always shy and worried about how others perceived her. But competing in Miss America pageants gave her the boost of confidence she needed.

“As a junior in high school, my mom encouraged me to participate in the Junior Miss program,” said Makenzie. “I was so surprised that after many months of hard work, I was awarded second runner-up in a field of twenty-six girls. When Junior Miss was over, I knew I wanted to continue to grow in confidence in a similar program.”

It was at that time she heard about Miss Idaho Outstanding Teen.

“I had such an amazing experience as a teen that I decided to compete in a local Miss Idaho program,” said Makenzie. “I won a local pageant, and competed at Miss Idaho, which was also an amazing experience.”

After competing in a few pageants and realizing the importance of being physically fit, Makenzie chose the platform “Fitness Inside and Out.”

“I have watched my family members and others experience difficulties and health problems because of weight,” said Makenzie. “In addition, as a little person, it is especially challenging to maintain a healthy weight. So when I decided to continue competing in the Miss Idaho pageant system, I knew I wanted to promote physical and emotional health.”

Makenzie promotes First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” program, which focuses on eliminating childhood obesity. She also endorses the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award website.

“To utilize this website, I created a group called ‘Fitness Inside and Out,’ and encourage members of my community to create an account and log their fitness,” said Makenzie. “Physical fitness is important and contributes to good emotional health. I believe that when we are physically fit, we are better prepared and more willing to serve in our community and feel good about ourselves.”

Community service is a strong passion for Makenzie. As a child, she admits to feeling sorry for herself and finding it difficult to be happy. Her mother helped her get involved with many organizations in her community upon their move to Idaho.
“I noticed that when I was helping others I felt on top of the world, and didn’t even think twice about the obstacles in my life,” said Makenzie.

After finding out she was the first little person to compete in the Miss America pageant system, Makenzie said, “It felt incredible and freeing. I hope I can inspire other young women like me to pursue their dreams and believe they can accomplish anything.”
She also encourages people to never give up, and perform with everything you have.

“It is so important to not let the words of others bring you down,” said Makenzie, “and always focus on what you have to give.”

This week, Miss Rhode Island's Outstanding Teen 2009 Emily Luther appeared on the Ellen Degeneres show and performed her wildly popular cover of Adele's "Someone Like You" with Charlie Puth.

Congratulations to Emily and Charlie!

One person we like very much is Kasey Staniszewki, Miss Maryland's Outstanding TEen 2007 and stylist for La Casa Hermosa. Kasey was kind enough to give us a style tip!

I don't know if you've heard, but so far 9 former Outstanding Teens have been crowned as Misses and will be vying for the title of Miss America in 2012. The titleholders in thsese states are double crown winners: Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, Georgia, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, Texas and Kentucky. I cannot imagine how exciting it is for these young women, and for MAOT, to be succesful in the next level of competition. I have hoped that we would see more and more OTs becoming Misses and now that a "generation" has passed, we are seeing it happen!

Do you suppose that competing at the OT level prepared these young ladies for the state level, or are the two competitions so different that it wouldn't make a difference? What are your thoughts?

Miss America's Outstanding Teen Organization is pleased to announce a new sponsor who will be awarding a $500 Non- Finalist Interview Award. This award is made possible through the generosity of Valerie Hayes of The Pageant Coach(TM) and radio host of Pageant Talk Radio. MAOTeen thanks Valerie for her continued support of our program and our contestants.

"I'm very excited to be sponsoring the Non-Finalist Interview Award for the Miss America's Outstanding Teen program" said Hayes. "The young women who compete in MAOTeen are the best and the brightest of their generation and it's my honor to promote academic achievement, leadership in community service, and public speaking skills through this award."

Valerie will also be hosting some of our team on Pageant Talk Radio on Friday, March 11 at 3 p.m. CST. Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2011 Lacey Russ, Jennifer McKenna, Princess Camp Coordinator, and Tawni Darby, a new team member that will be introducing our new Teens In Training Camp program will be joining Valerie for a full hour to talk about MAOTeen and the exciting changes that are taking places in our program.

"The MAOTeen program is a clear leader in encouraging positive achievement in our nation's youth," said Hayes, "I'm thrilled to be partnering with them in recognizing the extraordinary achievements of these young women."

Have You Ever Been A Victim of Bullying?

By Myrhanda Jones

With today's technological advances, my generation has the power to save a life yet putting that power in the wrong hands can harm someone. Today's teenagers are hiding behind a screen that gives them the invincibility to bully one another without  being caught or named.

Recently, I was chosen by Cox Communications here in Florida to represent teenagers at a summit called "Take Charge." It was held in Washington, D.C. and was hosted by John Walsh of America's Most Wanted. Teens from all over the U.S. attended and we spoke about Internet safety, sexting, and texting issues that our generation is experiencing. John Walsh and I went to Capitol Hill where we spoke with Rep. Cliff Stearns. I gave him information about the lack of safety that teens seem to have on Facebook and Myspace.

Here are some tips on how to help and prevent bullying:

1. If you are being harassed via text message, ask the person to stop texting you. Then, tell your parents what is happening.

2. If the harassment persists, call the police.

3. Do not return any phone calls or texts from the person harassing you.

Remember that although it is not a crime (yet) to text about your peers or write about them on the Internet, it can be very damaging.

For more information, visit my Web site at www.huhgsforhearts.com.