A 17-year-old from North Oaks is representing Minnesota on the national stage for the Miss Teen USA pageant.

Maisie Adams was crowned Miss Minnesota Teen USA on Aug. 10. She’s competing for Miss Teen USA this week in Reno, Nevada, and if she wins in Thursday’s finals she’ll be the first Minnesotan to do so in the contest.

Being Miss Teen USA is something Adams has been dreaming of since she was 11, she said.

“It means representing more than a crown,” Adams said. “It is about being kind, showing compassion and representing the state I love.”

Her platform, Compassion in Action: A Movement not a Moment, focuses on inclusion and kindness.

Adams volunteers at Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that works to promote one-on-one friendships and leadership development for people with intel

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