Ohio Classroom visit

http://misskohanski.blogspot.com/2009/03/miss-teen-ohio.html

Kelsey Stevens, Miss Teen Ohio came to read to our class today! We had so much fun! She read a wonderful story about the joy of reading.

AHS senior reigns as Miss Ohio Teen 2009

by Brent Hovey

Reporter

Portsmouth -- Just about everybody knows by now Aurora High School's football team won the Division III state championship.

But it wasn't the only title associated with Aurora. Kelsey Stevens, a senior at Aurora High School, was crowned Miss Ohio Teen USA 2009 on Nov. 22.

Stevens was selected over 50 statewide contestants who represented various counties and cities. The 17-year-old will represent Ohio in the 2009 Miss Teen USA pageant next summer.

The Miss Ohio Teen competition took place at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts on the Campus of Shawnee State University.

"This is truly one of the best feelings in the world because I proved to myself that hard work and commitment pay off," said Stevens. "I worked so hard to be there and I really wanted the title, but pageants are unpredictable.

"There were so many beautiful girls there and I was nervous that I may not make the top five, and then when I was announced the winner I went into shock."

The competition came down to Stevens and Miss Columbus Grove. As the two stood in the center of the stage, Stevens already had tears in eyes because she had just won Miss Congeniality, an award the other contestants pick.

"I was honored these amazing girls chose me," she said. "Then I was standing on the stage and the only thought going through my head was 'I must be in a dream.'"

But a dream it wasn't, and Stevens was announced as the winner. "I couldn't believe I did it," she said.

As excited as Stevens was for winning, there was something else on her mind.

"I WANTED to see my mom and hold my new baby brother, who was three days old at the time because I had to leave the pageant right before he was born," she said.

Stevens has been competing in pageants for two years, and has found immediate success.

In her first pageant, Stevens was named second runnerup. In her second, it was first runnerup. And now she is Miss Teen Ohio.

Although Stevens is relatively new to the pageant world, her family is not. Her older sister, Amanda, was named Miss Ohio Teen 2003.

It was Amanda, through being Miss Ohio Teen, who inspired Kelsey to get into pageants.

"By watching all of the amazing things she did with her title, and seeing how she impacted other people's lives, she inspired me to go after the crown," said Stevens.

"I know the crown won't define who I am, but it is a venue to show the students of Ohio that you can make good choices and still have fun."

As Miss Teen Ohio, Stevens said she'll work with organizations associated with the pageant system such as Teen Talk, as well as other charities close to her heart.

She also will participate in the Miss Teen USA pageant, the location and date of which will be announced later.

Stevens' dream started when she was a little girl and would sit around with her family, order pizza and watch pageants on TV.

"I remember always thinking the contestants were so glamorous and confident, and that one day I wanted to be just like them."

And now she is.

http://www.auroraadvocate.com/news/article/4477469

Miss Ohio Teen USA Crowned

By G. SAM PIATT
PDT Staff Writer
A blue-eyed blonde senior at Aurora High School was crowned Miss Ohio Teen USA 2009 in the pageant held Saturday afternoon at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts on the campus of Shawnee State University. Kelsey Stevens, who won Miss Aurora Teen USA to make it to the Portsmouth pageant, kept the crown in the family so to speak. Her sister, Amanda Stevens, was Miss Ohio Teen USA 2003.

"She helped me to train," said Kelsey, who will now move on to compete next year for the title of Miss Teen USA 2010.

The competition for Miss Ohio USA 2009 was held last night at the Center but ran too late for the deadline of this morning's Portsmouth Daily Times. The winner will be featured in a story to run Monday. Stevens was crowned Miss Ohio Teen USA by last year's winner, Chelsie Folden of Wellston. The pageant drew 55 contestants from across Ohio. About 600 people, including friends and family of the contestants, bought tickets to watch the pageant.

Hollie Mauk, Miss Scioto County Teen USA, finished in the final 15. Also competing from the Portsmouth area were Alli Thompson, Miss River Days Teen USA, and Emilee Lowe, Miss Portsmouth Teen USA. After the fourth, third, and second runners-up were chosen, only Stevens and Jena Diller, Miss Columbus Grove Teen USA, stood in the center of the stage awaiting the judges' decision.

"At that point I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, it could be me,'" Stevens said. And it was. Diller was first runner-up. Second runner-up was Jessica Byington, Miss Indian Hills Teen USA; third runner-up was Alexis Laurine, Miss St. Clairsville Teen USA; and fourth runner-up was Kendall Fein, Miss Southwest Ohio USA.

Stevens said she rode a bicycle and did some weight-lifting to get in shape for the pageant. The pageants have fallen in love with Portsmouth. The 2000 pageant took place in Cincinnati, and it moved to Portsmouth the following year. It's taken place here now for eight years straight.

"It's with great pride that Scioto County and the city of Portsmouth welcome the contestants of the 2009 Miss Ohio USA and Miss Ohio Teen USA pageants, as well as their families and friends," Kim Bauer, executive director of the Portsmouth-Scioto County Visitors Bureau, said in her message in the front of the official magazine listing the contestants of both pageants. She invited visitors to stay a while and enjoy the natural beauty around the area, as well as the restaurants and shops.

"I hope you find the time to enjoy the many different activities here in Portsmouth, but most of all, please remember the warm hospitality seen on every street and neighborhood in town," Mayor James Kalb said in his message.