Canton Teen Captures National Crown

CANTON, CT — For the first time in Connecticut history, a resident of the state has captured the coveted national title of USA National Jr. Teen 2016.

Kelsey Dube, 15, bested delegates from throughout the United States to claim the national crown, scholarship money and an extensive prize package during the national pageant, which was held recently at the Boca Resort and Beach Club in Florida.

As a national title holder, Kelsey will be traveling the country for appearances, photo shoots, charity events, and media interviews. One of her first ventures as national royalty will be a trip to Atlantic City to attend the Miss America Pageant in early September.

As part of her prize package, she will also cruise to the Caribbean in the spring, and will spend her year participating in professional photo shoots, extensive travel, speaking in schools, appearance opportunities and be featured in national ad campaigns.

Kelsey is an accomplished model who has walked the runway in many shows, including New York Fashion Week, as well as being booked for print and commercial work across the country. Some of her modeling work includes Billabong and KK Swim.

In addition to the many prizes and opportunities that the crown has afforded her so far, celebrity shoe designer Marc Defang recently named a shoe in her honor. Additionally, she will be featured in ongoing national promotions and feature articles that will be published in national magazines and on the web as USA National Miss.

As a double honor roll student who excels at two schools, Kelsey attends Canton High School for academics in the morning and then travels an hour to the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts (GHAA) each afternoon during the school year. She majors in Musical Theater at GHAA, where she studies dance, acting and singing.

She has a passion for community service involvement and her platform is Hunger and Homelessness. She volunteers at the Christian Fellowship Center’s soup kitchen and published the Pageant Friends & Family Cookbook, where she raised over $600 for Connecticut Foodshare.

As a charity-driven organization, USA National Miss will enable Kelsey to continue pursuing her passions and platform, as well as work with the organization’s national anti-bullying platform, The Crown CARES (Creating a Respectful Environment in Schools.)

“We are so thrilled to be represented by a young woman who is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, and who has a passion to serve her community and be a role model to other girls,” said Jackie Watson, Executive Director of USA National Miss. “The USA National Miss Scholarship Organization is honored to have Kelsey as one of our national queens and we know that she will inspire other girls to achieve their goals.”

Kelsey will crown her successor at the 2017 USA National Miss Pageant next summer in Florida.

Story submitted by USA National Miss Scholarship Organization

Photo credits: Amanda Ferguson Photography