A 17-year-old from North Oaks is representing Minnesota on the national stage for the Miss Teen USA pageant.
Maisie Adams was crowned Miss Minnesota Teen USA on Aug. 10. She’s competing for Miss Teen USA this week in Reno, Nevada, and if she wins in Thursday’s finals she’ll be the first Minnesotan to do so in the contest.
Being Miss Teen USA is something Adams has been dreaming of since she was 11, she said.
“It means representing more than a crown,” Adams said. “It is about being kind, showing compassion and representing the state I love.”
Her platform, Compassion in Action: A Movement not a Moment, focuses on inclusion and kindness.
Adams volunteers at Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that works to promote one-on-one friendships and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has volunteered there for five years promoting inclusion across Minnesota.
Adams once had a speech impediment, she said, so she knows what it’s like to feel excluded.
“Best Buddies gave me a way to turn that into a purpose by helping others feel seen and valued,” Adams said.
Through Best Buddies, she met Mikayla Holmgren, the first woman with Down syndrome to compete in Miss Minnesota USA.
They instantly connected over their love for pageantry and fashion, Adams said.
“From Mikayla, I have learned that joy is contagious and confidence comes from being unapologetically yourself,” Adams said.
Adams and Holmgren raised $41,000 in 2024 during a six-week campaign for Best Buddies. They also work together on an inclusive fashion show called Dreaming Big Without Limits.
“Seeing the audience rise to their feet for every model, many of them with disabilities, was unforgettable,” Adams said, recounting one of her favorite memories with Holmgren.
The 7th annual fashion show is happening in Stillwater the same night as the Miss Teen USA pageant in Reno. For more information and tickets, visit dreambigwithoutlimits.com.
The Miss Teen USA finals begin at 7 p.m. Central Time on Thursday. The competition can be livestreamed at thenextmissusa.com for $22.99.
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