Monroe teen heads to D.C. pageant

With pageant appearances and an upcoming trip to the East Coast, 14-year-old Megan LaPlante is anticipating a lively summer filled with new experiences.

In just two weeks, the reigning Miss Junior Teen Washington United States will travel to Washington, D.C., with her mother, Susan, to compete in the Miss United States national pageant. In addition to competing against young women from around the country for the title of Miss United States, Megan will appear in the Washington, D.C., Independence Day parade as it makes its way down Constitution Avenue.-á

"I'm super excited about some of the activities that we get to do while we're there, like the Independence Day Parade on Capitol Hill and attending Miss World America,GÇ¥ Megan said.-á

She earned the opportunity to compete by winning the local Miss Washington United States pageant in Renton on April 25. She competed in interview, fitness wear, evening gown and on-stage question. On-stage question is a challenging category in which participants are asked an impromptu question before judges and the audience. They are judged based on the content and fluidity of their answers.-á

"I was super nervous about it,GÇ¥ Megan said.-á

A recent student at Park Place Middle School, Megan has been participating in pageants for several years now. She has competed in both the Miss Sky Valley pageant and the Miss Gold Dust pageant, winning the title of Miss Sky Valley Junior Teen in 2014. In March, she was crowned the 2015 Miss Sky Valley Queen of Queens.-á

She entered the Miss United States pageant because she felt ready to tackle a new challenge. One of the benefits of competing in local pageants is that it has given her the opportunity to hone her skills in categories like personal interview and on-stage question.

"When I started doing pageants I was horrible at interview GÇô I was so nervous,GÇ¥ Megan said. "But now I'm kind of like warming up and getting used to it.GÇ¥ -á -á

As a part of her title, Megan is required to make appearances, including one charitable appearance every month. This year, the Miss United States pageant selected the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life as its charitable cause of choice, and Megan is excited about the partnership. She participated in this year's Sky Valley Relay for Life event, both walking the track and performing the National Anthem with the Park Place Middle School choir.-á -á

Contestants at the national pageant in Washington, D.C., will compete in several different categories, including on-stage question, evening gown, personal interview, runway and swimwear. The pageant, which will take place over the course of five days, will run from July 1 through July 5. This will be Megan's first time competing in a swimwear competition.-á

"I'm kind of excited for it,GÇ¥ Megan said. "But Mom's not.GÇ¥

Through her advocacy platform, entitled "Preventing Teen Suicide through Hope and Awareness,GÇ¥ Megan hopes to use her position to spread awareness about teen suicide. Her goal is to help young people who may feel hopeless and depressed by encouraging them to get help. She lost a close friend to suicide earlier this year, and the experience motivated her to take action. -á

"I want to work to restore hope and optimism and encourage young people to get help before it's too late,GÇ¥ Megan said. "If I can impact just one life, then I will have been successful.GÇ¥

Megan is excited to move on from Park Place Middle School and looks forward to starting at Monroe High School in the fall. Interested in photography, she is eventually planning to study broadcast journalism, a class that is available within the school's technology and communications curriculum. As a freshman, she'll start with graphic design, which will include photography, desktop publishing, color theory, animation and more.-á

She also looks forward to singing with the high school choir, running track and possibly playing basketball.-á

"I'm super excited to be in high school,GÇ¥ Megan said. "I cannot wait.GÇ¥-á

Megan is fundraising to help support her journey to Washington, D.C. To contribute, visit www.gofundme.com/vpcy9s7q.-á