Teen queen never expected to win
GRACE LINITSKI HEADING TO NATIONAL PAGEANT IN AUGUST
Sixteen-year-old Grace Linitski was out searching for the perfect grad dress when a salesperson suggested she enter the Miss Teenage Alberta pageant.
Linitski never participated in a pageant before, but the idea intrigued her.
“I looked into it a little bit more, it just seemed like a great opportunity to build confidence, better your public speaking and just meet new people,” she said.
When she decided to enter she never anticipated the thought that she’d actually walk away with the crown.
“When I won, I was shocked because I’ve never done a pageant before,” said Linitski. “I didn’t expect to win, I just went there to have fun and meet new people, socialize and learn as much as I could.”
Contestants were judged on personality, communication skills, stage presence, beauty, academics and more.
Those who have won provincial titles will be fundraising for Free the Children and Linitski said she hopes to raise as much as she can before competing in the national pageant in Toronto this August.
She’s unsure whether or not she’ll continue to pursue pageants as an adult.
“I think it would be very interesting to do that, as long as I can focus on other things too and not just the pageant because in life, there’s lots of things that are important and not just one thing that’s more important than others, so you should try your best to be well-rounded,” she said. “I want to graduate this year, I’m in grade 11 and I’m trying my best to graduate a year early, so that’s also another goal of mine academically.”