CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – Arianna Thompson, a talented student from Mahomet-Seymour High School, recently won the Miss Teen Illinois USA pageant and is preparing to compete with young women across the United States for the title of Miss Teen USA.

Thompson says she was always in love with the idea of pageants, watching Miss USA on television, dressing up in outfits and imitating the contestants she saw on the screen. She began her journey at the age of six when she entered her first pageant, winning the title of Little Miss Oakland. She represented Mahomet at Miss Teen Illinois USA and landed in the Top 15, an astounding achievement for a 15-year-old.

Thompson is very involved and continues to make a positive impact at Mahomet-Seymour High School. As an incoming senior, she is involved in the Principal Advisors Council, the Freshman Mentorship Program, the executive board at the Student Council as Treasurer, and the cheer team. On top of all of that, she is also the founder of Taking Up Space, which she says, “encourages women of all backgrounds to chase after their dreams no matter the societal standards.”

Additionally, Thompson’s organization is offering a scholarship for women going into male-dominated fields. More specifically, this scholarship is offered to minority women and first-generation college students.

“My first recipient wants to go into the field of being a doctor to study mental health and how that affects the brain to help others cope and find more results to help them,” says Thompson, a member of the Mental Health Awareness Club.

With all of her programs, extracurriculars, and preparation for the Miss Teen Illinois USA pageant, Thompson has a lot on her plate. Thompson says that her junior year was the “worst year of my life.”  She also admits that as a mixed-race girl growing up in Mahomet, “the people can be a little rude and have a kind of stereotype about them.”

Despite all of the challenges she’s faced, Thompson manages to keep it all together and push forward for the Miss Teen USA competition. She credits her success with learning time management.

“I used to get really stressed, especially with preparing for the SAT, doing tests and managing homework on top of all the extracurriculars I do.  Now, I’ve kind of learned how to manage it well, and I’ve also made sure to reserve days for myself where I’m just focusing on me,” says Thompson. “Whether that’s sitting back and doing a face mask and watching a movie, or even just setting up my calendar for the month. Doing things like that helps me make sure that I’m putting myself first, so, then everything else falls into line.”

No matter how busy her schedule, Thompson says she still makes time to have fun and hang out with friends, allowing her to still be a teenager.

“If I weren’t to hang out with my friends then I wouldn’t be in a good spot,” she says. “Mentally, those people are my rock.”

Thompson says that competing in pageants has greatly shaped her identity. “The person that I am today is all accredited to pageantry because it’s made me learn how to love myself,” she says.  “The thing is, is you can’t compete in pageants without knowing who you are.”

Thompson says that while some have a biased perception of pageants like Miss Teen USA, she views them as very positive and uplifting for women. Thompson even argues that every girl should try a pageant because, “You’re forced to find out what you’re passionate about, and you’re also forced to find a confidence in yourself because you’re out on a stage in front of hundreds.”

Thompson, now 17, was recently crowned Miss Teen Illinois USA and will compete in the Miss Teen USA finals this August. Counting down the days to the pageant, Thompson says she has been preparing mentally and physically for her chance at the national title of Miss Teen USA.

“I’ve worked a lot in the gym and a lot with my coaches,” she says. “I’ve done lessons almost every single week. I’ll practice interview questions and do mock interviews.”

The Miss Teen USA competition will air live Thursday, August 1, 2024, at 7 p.m. CDT on The CW.

Thompson says that upon graduation she will attend the University of Alabama, where she will major in political science and eventually become a civil rights attorney, in hopes of making a lasting impact on others.