First-year University student Celi Dean won the Miss Teen Minnesota International 2004 competition Saturday.
Dean was one of 20 teenagers who participated in interview, aerobic-wear, “fun fashion wear” and evening-gown competitions, according to the event’s Web site.
The interview accounts for 40 percent of the judges’ decision, Dean said, while the other three components are worth 20 percent each.
“Your mind is the most powerful thing you have, and that’s what gives you respect,” she said.
Over the next year, Dean will visit schools and children’s hospitals, and be in parades. She will also compete in July for the Miss Teen International Competition in Chicago.
Dean, a Minneapolis resident, has won four pageants and has entered approximately 12 since she started competing at age 5.