Three young women were crowned at the Miss Grand Forks Pageant -- a local preliminary competition to Miss North Dakota, Miss Minnesota and Miss America Organizations -- Nov. 30 at the Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks.
Grand Forks native Abby Mattson was crowned Miss Grand Forks 2014. Mattson is studying music at UND, and she scored highest on her talent of classical piano.
"I'm so excited that I won the Grand Forks title because I'm a local girl," Mattson said. "I know a lot of people in town, and I love everything about this place," she said.
"I love the people, and I love the opportunities it's given me."
Mattson's platform focuses on the Arts Advocacy, and she said she hopes to develop a presentation to take into local schools.
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"Specifically, what I hope to do is spread my love of music," she said. "The Miss America organization is awesome about giving you service opportunities, and they let you choose a platform and with that you can tailor your service engagement to suit you best."
Miss Empire
Alyssa Ralston, Carrington, N.D., was crowned Miss Empire 2014 -- named after the Empire Arts Center. Ralston is a student at North Dakota State University. Her pageant talent is lyrical dance, and her platform focuses on Bullying Prevention and Awareness.
Mattson and Ralston both earned North Dakota preliminary titles and will advance to the Miss North Dakota Scholarship Pageant in Williston, N.D., in June 2014.
The title of Miss Grand Cities 2014 was awarded to Drew Trahms of Janesville, Minn. With a platform focusing on Helping Immigrant Children in America, Trahms currently is living and working in Grand Forks at Global Friends Coalition. She studied at Augustana College and her pageant talent is singing.
Miss Grand Cities is a preliminary title, so Trahms will advance to the Miss Minnesota Scholarship Pageant in Eden Prairie, Minn., in June 2014.
Mattson said the girls were together on pageant day from about 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. with ample opportunities to get to know one another.
"It was so much fun," Mattson said.
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"The girls are all just very nice, smart, confident young women," she said. "It was really fun getting to know girls that are passionate about serving others."
The 2014 Miss Grand Forks and Miss Grand Cities' Outstanding Teen Pageant is set for Feb. 9, and teens 13 to 17 and up to a junior in high school during this current year (2013-14) are encouraged by the Miss Grand Forks Organization to compete.
To register, visit grandforkspageants.org or email missgrandforks@yahoo.com for more information.
Erickson can be reached at erickson.e11@gmail.com .
