By Judith Roberts
Sophomore Ruston High student Melissa Le brought home the crown Sunday afternoon as she was named Miss Louisiana’s Teen, winning $8,000 worth of tuition scholarships in her two years of competing.
Le, who also held the title of Miss Louisiana Watermelon Festival’s Teen, will compete nationally later this year for the title of Miss America’s Teen.
She said she was in complete shock when she was named Miss Louisiana’s Teen.
“This has been my dream for the past two years, and I have worked so hard in order to achieve such an honor,” Le said. “I was so grateful to God, my family, the judges, and my friends at that moment, as well as extremely proud of the work I had put in.”
Le said she cannot wait to serve the state in this role.
“I want to utilize the platform I have been given to spread my community service initiative, STEM to Bloom: Investing in STEM Education for All and promote the Miss Louisiana Opportunity’s goals of empowering young women and providing scholarships,” she said.
Le said she has is grateful for being able to compete and work with the Miss Louisiana organization.
“(This) is an absolutely amazing experience,” she said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed growing my self-confidence, communication and leadership skills.”
She added that the friendships she has made through the Miss Louisiana organization are priceless to her.
“The girls I have had the privilege of competing alongside made this experience so sweet because we bonded and uplifted each other,” Le said. “Every single step, from competing at my local preliminary competition to appearances to competing at Miss Louisiana’s Teen has been magical.”
At school Le is a part of the swimming team, National Honors Society, Student Council, speech and debate team and FBLA. Le is also a Junior Co-Chair on the National Girls Collaborative Project’s STEM Youth Advisory Board. She is interested in increasing STEM-related extracurricular activities as part of her platform.
“With the title of Miss Louisiana’s Teen, I will have more opportunities to travel the state of Louisiana and promote my community service initiative in order to cultivate the future generation’s interest in STEM education,” she said. “I will utilize social media and appearances to maximize my outreach and influence as many people as possible.”
In addition to the crown, Le also won preliminary competitions of talent and fitness. She, along with two other Ruston residents Catherine Williams and Averie Moon, represented Lincoln Parish in the state pageant.
“I hope to make as many appearances as possible to promote my community service initiative, STEM to Bloom, and Miss Louisiana Opportunity, perform my talents and serve the state of Louisiana,” Le said. “This year is going to be an incredible journey, and I am so ecstatic to begin.”
