Meet Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen

On Wednesday, June 16, Katarina Akridge was crowned Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2010. Katarina is from Woodbury and is a junior at East Ridge High School. She has been dancing since the age of four and has won numerous awards throughout the years of competitive dance. She has also been playing the piano since the age of five and is the recipient of the Minneapolis Music Teacher’s Forum Honors Award. In her spare time Katarina enjoys reading, shopping, and spending time with her family. Katarina plans to major in law and someday become a Supreme Court Justice.

Katarina’s platform is The Face of America: Accepting and Celebrating the Diversity of our Great Nation. Recently, she traveled to Europe as a Student Ambassador for the People to People Organization. The goal of her platform and the People to People Organization is to remove the common stereotypes we as a nation hold against people of different cultures and ethnicities, and vice versa.

Katarina is the daughter of Andrew and Linda Akridge. She is the youngest and their only daughter. Katarina has five older brothers: Damani, Eriasi, Terril, Leonard, and Terrence.

L to R: Bailey Wachholz (2nd Runner-Up), Melanie Clark (Princess), Katarina, and Paige Meyer (1st Runner-Up)

With former Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teens: Natalie Davis (2006), Chantal Wilson (2007), Alyssa Mayfield (2008), and Katlyn Ziegler (2009)

Katarina was recently the subject of an article in the Woodbury Bulletin. "Some kids spend their summers relaxing and recharging before another school year hits. But Katarina Akridge is not just some kid. She’s Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen." Check out the full text here.

As Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen, Katarina will compete this August for the title of Miss America's Oustanding Teen in Orlando. For more on the MAOT program, visit www.maoteen.org.

In addition to her travels to Orlando, Kat has the following appearances on her calendar:
July 24 – Miss Frazee Pageant
July 25 – Frazee Parade
July 30 – Miss Perham/Miss Heart of the Lakes Pageant
July 31 – Miss Midwest/Miss Morris Pageant
August 1 – Miss Thief River Falls Pageant
August 5 – Dairy Queen/Children’s Miracle Network Miracle Treat Day
Gillette Children's Hospital w/Miss Minnesota (11:00 a.m.)
August 14-29 – Miss America's Outstanding Teen – Orlando, FL
September 10 – Moorhead Parade
September 11 – Miss Moorhead/MRRVOT Pageant
September 17 – North St. Paul Parade w/Miss Minnesota
November 13 – MDA Annual Walk, Rosedale Center (7:30-9:30 a.m.)

The Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen website is also under construction. For more information on the program, or to book Katarina for an appearance, please contact director Diane Buszta at dianebuszta@yahoo.com.