| D.C. Teen Queen Prepares to Relinquish Crown |
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| Regional Archives | |||
| By Yanné Givens - Special to the Informer | |||
| Thursday, July 09, 2009 | |||
 Jasmine Alexis will hand over her crown as the Miss District of Columbia Teen USA o Sun., July 12. Alexis won the title in May 2008, along with Miss District of Columbia’s Outstanding Teen. Courtesy PhotoOn Sun., July 12, at the Lincoln Theatre in Northwest, Alexis, 18, will crown her successor. At the pageant, Alexis will perform a Latin Ballroom dance, the talent that won her the Miss D.C.’s Outstanding Teen crown in May 2008 and helped her secure a spot in the top 10 at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant in August 2008. Alexis was the only African American selected to be in the top 10 at the national pageant. “It was truly a blessing, honor and privilege to be the only African American,” Alexis said. “It was a really great accomplishment for me, and I’ll go down in history as the only African American in the top 10 at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen 2009 pageant.” Alexis has also made history as the first teen from the District to hold titles in both the Miss Teen USA and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant systems. Alexis is only the third teen in the country to win titles in both systems. “It’s another incredible blessing and opportunity for me,” she said. Despite her success, Alexis does not give herself the credit for her achievements. “I attribute [my success] to a combination of my faith in God and my family,” she said. According to Alexis, her faith in God is what got her where she is today. She thanks God for blessing her, and is also grateful that her family made many sacrifices, financial and otherwise, so that Alexis could follow her dreams. As a result of her success locally and at the national level, Alexis will receive over $4,000 in scholarships to put toward her college education. A recent graduate of Keystone National High School, an online program, she will attend Concordia University in Bronxville, N.Y. this fall. Although being a title-holder in the District has been fun, Alexis is ready to pass the crown on to another ambitious teenager from the District. “I kind of view my reign ending as the closing of one chapter and the opening of the next,” Alexis said. “I won’t be the face of the youth of the District of Columbia [anymore], I’ll just be another young adult.” Alexis made appearances at over 50 events this year as a speaker and performer and signed autographs and took pictures with her fans. There are fewer than 10 contestants in the Miss District of Columbia’s Outstanding Teen pageant this weekend, and Alexis’ advice to them all is simple: be prepared and have fun. At the conclusion of that night, one of those young women will embark on a year-long journey Alexis knows all too well. She has been on that journey twice; she’s competed at two national pageants, made connections with all kinds of people and had amazing experiences in the process. “Not everybody can say they have a friend in every state. I’m lucky enough to say I have two in every state plus the Virgin Islands,” Alexis said. When asked how she feels about this Sunday being her last day as a D.C. teen queen, Alexis said that she will definitely miss it, but she’s also excited for the future. “Hopefully I won’t cry, but I probably will,” she said, laughing. “It’s been a really good year.” Of course, there have been ups and downs, but Alexis feels honored and proud to have done all the great things that she has been able to do. The opportunities afforded to pageant winners only come around once in a lifetime. Or, in her case, twice.
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