Callista Wengel has been selected to represent Minnesota at the 2013 Miss American Junior Teen Pageant. The 16-year-old Perham girl competed against girls from around the state on March 23-24 in Minneapolis, and won the title of Miss North Star State Junior Teen 2013.
Wengel will be attending the national pageant for her age group in Florida during the week of Thanksgiving. There, she will compete for the title of Miss American Junior Teen, along with thousands of dollars in cash awards, prizes and scholarships.
In addition to winning the title of Miss North Star State Junior Teen 2013, Wengel also received the Community Service Award for all contestants ages 13-22, and was a top finalist in speech, talent, and academic achievement competitions.
Wengel is a sophomore at Perham High School, where she is active in Student Council, the Wellness Committee, FFA, speech and track. She is section leader in the high school orchestra, has been involved for many years in the community musical (most recently as stage manager), and regularly competes in the One-Act Play.
She is currently developing a non-profit, “A Song for Every Child,” to raise money to bring music lessons to disadvantaged children.
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Wengel is the daughter of Heather Fones of Perham, and Robert Kasper of Wadena, and plans to pursue a degree in music education.
Her younger sister, Isadora Wengel, also competed, in the pre-yeen age group, where she received first runner up honors and won both the community service and academic achievement awards for her age division, as well as a special award for having the best hair. She was also a top finalist in the talent competition.
Isadora is a 7th grade homeschooled student, is active in Perham Just for Kix and the Junior Varsity Gymnastics Team, and participated in the 2012-13 Northwestern University’s Midwest Academic Talent Search. She is the daughter of Heather Fones of Perham and Brian Landsem of West Fargo, N.D.
Both girls won awards for Outstanding Program Participation.
American Coed Pageants, Inc. annually holds state pageants for the purpose of recognizing and rewarding outstanding young women between the ages of three and 22 for their past and present accomplishments, and to encourage them to set and achieve high goals for the future.
The American Coed Pageant system is a conservative system looking for the all-American girl-next-door. No makeup is ever allowed on contestants under the age of 13, and no heavy makeup, revealing dresses, or fake hair are allowed on the older girls. Contestants are scored on poise and appearance in eveningwear, a personal onstage introduction, and a private interview (which accounts for half of their total score).
Since 1983, millions of dollars in cash awards and prizes have been presented to outstanding girls at state and national competitions.
For more information, contact Patty Hawkins at the National Pageant Office at 850-432-8662 or visit www.gocoed.com .
