In June, 18 year-old Maddie (Madeline) Helget of Clearwater was crowned Miss Minnesota Teen, winning the title over 25 contestants from around the state.

 

The event, held by National American Teen (NAM), took place June 17 – 19 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bloomington. Unlike traditional “beauty” pageants, NAM pageants encourage good communication and presentation skills in order to help young women gain poise, self-confidence and a competitive edge for successful futures. 

 

Four years ago Helget received an invitation for NAM in the mail. Although she had never participated in pageants before, she loved to try new things. Her first year competing she received fourth runner-up, the next year she received second runner-up, the third year first runner-up, and this year she won the title.

 

Helget explained contestants in NAM are judged in three categories. The first category consists of one-on-one interviews with each of the six judges where the judges can ask any questions they want.

 

“There were some pretty crazy questions,” she said. “The hardest one for me was, if you were a book which chapter would you be and why?”

 

The second category is personal introduction, where each contestant introduces themselves to the judges and 300-400 spectators, and then speaks about their platform.

 

“I have a few platforms that I’m passionate about,” said Helget. “Safety and social media, inner beauty and encouraging girls to be themselves, and childhood cancer.”

 

The third category, formal wear, is Helget’s personal favorite. Girls in the youngest categories can’t wear makeup, and dresses should be modest.

 

“My Dad escorted me out. It’s fun and easy, you don’t have to memorize anything like you do in the personal introduction category.”

 

Each of the three categories is worth 30% of the contestant’s score, and the last 10% is for community service, with each contestant bringing in books and school supplies to donate. As this year’s queen, Helget gets to choose where the supplies will go; she decided on the Boys and Girls Club of St. Cloud, where she hopes to some day volunteer as a big sister.

 

Along with the required categories, contestants are able to enter optional competitions. Helget competed in a number of them, winning first place in resume, first place as top model and first place as most promising model. She also took first runner-up in photogenic and second runner-up in casual wear modeling.

 

Unlike other pageants, as queen Helget is allowed to choose the events she would like to participate in throughout the year. Tuesday she made her first appearance during Sparkle Night at the Minnesota Twins game.

 

She has a number of other items on her agenda as Miss Minnesota Teen, including volunteering through Make-A-Wish and other cancer walks, getting involved in Smart Girl, a program that promotes safety on social media, speaking at schools about social media and inner beauty, reading at the hospital, and getting involved in Love Your Melon, an apparel brand dedicated to giving a hat to every child battling cancer in America, and Ivory Ella, a company whose global mission is to save the elephants.

 

As Miss Minnesota Teen, Helget will represent her state in November at the NAM nationals in California. Along with competing during the eight-day pageant, the contestants will tour Hollywood and enjoy a day at Disneyland, which will be shut down to the public and open just for them.

 

“The NAM pageant is so much fun,” she said. “I made friends there the first year I competed that I’m still good friends with.”

 

Helget will be a senior at Annandale High School this fall, where she participates in tennis, choir, Key Club and Cardinal Buddies. She’s also in the top 10 of her class. 

 

Outside of school she shows her dog, Kirby, at 4H events, volunteers at Place of Hope and Feed My Starving Children, and participates in the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Walk for Wishes and the Clearwater Travel Plaza’s Walk for Hope. 

 

Along with all of these activities she also works at the Annandale Care Center as a dietary aide, and enjoys bow fishing for carp with her dad.

 

Helget’s family includes her parents Joe and Cori Helget, older brother Jack, younger brother Ben, and the family’s three dogs.