A 19-year-old from the island has bagged her first crown in an online pageant.

Mitzi Danielson-Kaslik is a university student, who also does charity work, models and competes in pageants.

She won Miss Teen Photogenic, a pageant that has existed since the 1990s,.

It was during Covid that the pageant went online, and has stayed online ever since.

Mitzi said: ‘The pageant is based on the measurements of the girls, an online interview, a written piece, charity work and the overall part is a submitted portfolio of photos.

‘I ranked highest in all categories. Its a pageant about celebrating teens.

‘The overall winner was decided by the judges who are industry professionals.

I submitted about 20 photos, there was separately a ‘Miss Teen Popularity’ award which was done by people’s choice vote online which I also came top in.’

‘To enter, you have to be 16-19 and have to have competed internationally before in any pageant and have professionally modelled, you also have to have done significant charity work which you have to prove.’

Mitzi added: ‘I feel absolutely thrilled to have won the pageant. This is my first international crown and I want to make the most of it.

‘As a reigning queen, I have been to the pageant girls’ getaway and am really excited to positively impact my community by doing appearances for events which will be a big part of my role as the winner.

‘This means I am up for and available to appear at community events like for charity days.’

Mitzi believes that online pageants are a good way of making the beauty competitions more accessible.

She said: ‘It makes pageants a lot cheaper for contestants which is great news, especially considering that a lot of the girls who compete are from poorer parts of the world which allows them to compete without putting themselves or their families under so much financial strain.’

She added; ‘All that is allowed is a ‘standard retouch’ which is a light airbrushing which is pretty standard in a modelling portfolio, if someone tells you their portfolio is completely airbrush free (other than polaroids), they are most likely lying.

‘They have a photo expert on hand to verify if the photos are doctored, photoshopped images can’t be entered. I think that standard is quite strictly enforced.’

‘Judging is by nature part of a pageant, making it online doesn’t make it ‘better or worse’ in my opinion. I

‘I’m not naïve enough to believe that whenever I post on social media people don’t form opinions about it.

‘Just because this is a professional contest doesn’t make it ‘worse’ in my opinion if anything it makes it better because now as an international beauty queen I have a bigger platform to promote good causes and get involved in my community.

‘I am so excited for what the future holds now I am an international queen! I really hope I can have an impactful reign and have lots of fun doing it.’

Mitzi is available for appearances.