Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen Bailey Wachholz's motto is never give up when it comes to pageants and her platform. Crowned in March, Bailey tried four times before she won the title, but she was not discouraged. Now she is marching onward in her year of service to bring awareness to Alzheimer's disease.

"A couple months before my first pageant, Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2009, my father was diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer's disease. Being so young, I didn't know anything about the disease and had no idea it could happen to a parent. From there I knew that I needed to compete," Bailey says.

Bailey was thirteen at the time. Her platform, "Remember Me? Alzheimer's Through the Eyes of a Child," has three focuses, to educate, to advocate, and to support, Bailey says.

"At first my platform was just a platform for a pageant, but now it's my life."

Bailey visits students of all ages. She developed Minnesota's first education program for college students to learn about Alzheimer's disease. She advocates at the state level before the Minnesota's Senate and House of Representatives for research funding.

"Alzheimer's is the most under-funded disease of the top ten diseases that kill people in America," she says.

At the heart of her platform is a girl who has experienced the effects of Alzheimer's first hand, and because of that, she works with others who have loved ones suffering from the disease.

"I support through facilitating the only support group in Minnesota for young adults and children that are affected by Alzheimer's disease specifically," she says.

Bailey is seventeen years old, and she aspires to become a broadcast journalist.

Click in to meet the final preliminary award winners during pageant week in Orlando!

A Duluth teen was crowned Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2011 this weekend. Sixteen-year-old Alexis Houle was crowned Saturday night in Eden Prairie. As Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen, Alexis Houle will receive more than $5,000 in scholarship money and awards. She will participate in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen competition in August. Houle is a student at East High in Duluth. She performed a vocal selection for her talent. She also was awarded the Spirit Award.

11 contestants from around the state of Minnesota competed for the title of Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen 2011. Miss North Metro’s Outstanding Teen Bailey Wachholz was named 1st runner up and Miss Red River Valley’s Outstanding Teen Brianna Drevlow was named 2nd runner up and the Talent winner. Detroit Lakes’ Outstanding Teen Claire Schiller won the areas of Interview and Scholastic Achievement. Miss Mankato's Oustanding Teen Chandra Dahlke won People's Choice award.