MITCHELL — Serenity, a Mitchell resident and sophomore at Bedford North Lawrence High School, has earned the title of National American Miss Indiana Jr. Teen, marking an exciting new chapter in her pageant journey.
Serenity competed in the National American Miss (NAM) Indiana Jr. Teen pageant, a pageant system focused on helping young women grow in confidence, develop communication skills, discover their strengths and expand their ideas about who they are and what they hope to achieve.
For Serenity, pageantry has been part of her life since kindergarten. She first became involved through the Persimmon Festival and later began competing in National American Miss in 2020. This year marks her fifth year participating in the NAM pageant system.
The National American Miss competition evaluates contestants in several areas, including formal wear, interview, personal introduction and community service. Each category accounts for 30%, 30%, 30% and 10% of the overall competition, respectively. Serenity also participated in several optional competitions throughout the event.
Her success continued across the optional competitions, where she won Runway, Fun Fitness, Dream Model and Casual Wear. She was also named first runner-up for Photogenic and second runner-up for Top Model.
When Serenity learned she had been named National American Miss Indiana Jr. Teen, the moment was filled with emotion.
“She was surprised, very excited and tearful,” her parents said.
The excitement was made even more special because Serenity’s best friend from Illinois also earned the National American Miss Illinois title. The two friends will now share their reigning year while representing their respective states.
As Indiana’s Jr. Teen titleholder, Serenity will have the opportunity to compete at the National American Miss national pageant in Orlando, Florida, during Thanksgiving week.
Her parents say they are incredibly proud of her accomplishments and, perhaps more importantly, the personal growth they have witnessed throughout her years in pageantry.
“As her parents, we are excited for her and love how much confidence she has gained through pageantry,” they said.
Serenity has also benefited from the guidance of two dedicated pageant coaches who work with her to prepare for competitions and help her continue developing her skills.
From getting her start as a kindergartner at the Persimmon Festival to earning a state title and preparing for the national stage, Serenity’s pageant journey has been one of growth, confidence and achievement.
Now, with the support of her family, friends and coaches, she will take the next step in that journey as she represents Indiana on the national stage in Orlando.
