An Okotoks teen took home a title coveted nationwide.
Seventeen-year-old Arianna Ramsay was crowned Miss Teenage Canada 2024 on July 14 at the pageant's national finals competition in Toronto.
"I'm very passionate about modelling and pageantry," said Ramsay, who last competed in the Miss Teenage Canada contest in 2021 before winning this year's banner. "With the title, I get to travel around the country, advocating and really just expressing my passions."
Advocacy plays a big role in Ramsay's life.
"Last year I created H.E.R.O. Canada," she said. "It's my online platform that I created on Instagram to spread awareness about the effects of bullying, what it really means to be a bully, and what being bullied can do to your mental health and how it impacts your lifestyle."
Ramsay, who calls herself a proud lifelong Okotokian, feels a deep connection to her community: she graduated this year from Holy Trinity Academy, where she was an honour roll student, and her mother, Norayda Ramsay, is president of the Okotoks Filipino-Canadian Society.
"I also represent the culture that my mom has blessed me with and I'm very fortunate to have that in my life," said Ramsay, who is half-Filipino.
"As someone who is a biracial Canadian, I've struggled with bullying my entire life," she said, "and through the love and support from my family, friends and community, especially the pageantry community, I was able to discover my own kind of beautiful."
Ramsay looks forward to continuing her journey as a model and competing in more pageants.
"I'm very excited to say that I am heading back to New York in September for New York Fashion Week," she said.
"With pageantry, it's a constant thing, and I just love being around in the community and I love using my time to volunteer and pave the way for a brighter future."
Learn more about Ramsay's advocacy work on the H.E.R.O. Canada Instagram page.
