Becker High School 17-year-old junior Lauren Brower finished in the top 15 at the Miss Minnesota Teen USA Pageant last month.

 

Brower entered the competition with zero experience participating in pageants and stunned almost everyone with her semi-final finish in her first live contest.

 

Tori Trittin won the title and four other girls took first through fourth runner-up titles among 40 girls entered. Last year there were just 20 girls total who entered.

 

The pageant took place  Nov. 25-26-27 at the Ames Center in Burnsville. Brower was urged to enter the beauty contest by a friend of hers, Patricia Cazalvilla, who Lauren took modeling classes with at John Casablancas in Minneapolis.

 

Cazalvilla ended up as the fourth runner-up girl.

 

The Miss Teen USA event features girls from 14 years old up to 18, but most of the girls were in the 16-18 range.

 

Brower, whose dazzling smile exudes a confident bliss, relished her experience at the pageant and hopes to continue her quest on being a pageant queen someday.

 

“This experience was good for me,” she said. “Now I know what to expect at my next one and because of this, my eyes have been opened.”

 

Brower said most of the teens in the pageant last month were seasoned veterans who have been on the pageantry circuit since they were very, very young.

 

“The winner (Tori Trittin), this was her third time in this contest,” said Lauren. “It gives me hope.”

 

Brower had hired a coach (Holly Ernst) to help her figure out her outfits and get her ready for the interviews. The first night (Friday), the girls had to sit before the judges and answer questions in a two-minute session. Then, they presented themselves before the judges wearing their first outfit of the pageant and from there they walked the runway in an evening dress, then an athletic outfit.

 

Prelims were the first full day and the top 15 moved on where they were interviewed again and wore the evening gown and athletic wear again for the judges.

 

“I wasn’t nervous at all,” said Lauren. “Well, maybe a little at the interviews but the rest I felt excited and a little anxious.”

 

Saturday, Brower woke at around 7:30 a.m. and gathered with the contestants at the venue a short while after that. For most of the day, they ran through the runway routines of each model and received pertinent instruction from their coaches leading up to the preliminaries.

 

The doors opened at 6 p.m. for the general public and seating began in the theater at 7:30 p.m. Lauren’s family — Linda (mom), Bill (dad) and sister (Brooke) — were all in attendance to proudly watch their daughter and sister.

 

Lauren wore a cream-colored, floor-length gown with bare shoulders. The dress had a gold diamond pattern from top to bottom interspersed with floral bouquets. The matching gold spaghetti straps and plunging neckline enhanced her radiant skin tone and golden brown hair.

 

A soft-white sheer train spilled to the floor from her waist in the back.

 

Lauren’s active wear outfit consisted of white spandex bottoms . She wore a blue and white, form-fitting, full-length athletic tank and tennis shoes that complimented her ensemble.

 

Lauren, who has grown up on the stage after performing in numerous dramas and dance competitions, is certain her future path to success is via the runway at various pageants. She also still plans on attending college to get a business degree to fall back on should her promising modeling and pageantry vocation not pan out.

 

From all appearances, it appears everything she’s got going for herself is, in fact, panning out in an incredible way for this remarkable teenager from Becker High School.

 

“I couldn't be more thankful for the amazing and unconditional support and love everyone has given me this weekend running for Miss Minnesota Teen USA,” Lauren said following the competition. 

 

“I wouldn't trade this experience for the world, I'm proud to say that I made the top 15 and couldn't me happier about it. Thanks again for all of the love and support.”