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Local Teenager Wins Title

photo provided Erin Connor with sister Brooke after earning the title of Vermont's Outstanding Teen

Tuesday June 15, 2010

By Cookie Steponaitis

    The crowd at the Barre Opera House on Saturday, June 5th was vocal and supportive. They had come to watch a scholarship competition and got their money’s worth. On the stage were six talented young teenagers who represented the towns of Bridport, Colchester, Bennington and Moscow, Vermont. During the course of the two day program, each teenager had a personal interview with the judges, performed their talent on stage, and competed in a lifestyle and fitness routine. They also answered an on-stage question pulled at random from a group of questions the judges created. When the competition reached its culmination a new Miss Vermont Outstanding Teen was crowned and Erin Connor from Bridport, Vermont had earned top honors.

    Erin, who is a freshman at Middlebury Union High School is no stranger to scholarship competitions and has been actively competing in academic based programs since she was seven. “I compete to earn scholarship money for college,” shared Erin,   “and to continually put myself in situations where I learn new skills. While most people don’t think of scholarship pageants as a way to earn money for school, they are a wonderful program that teaches you public speaking, personal presentation and how to reflect on who you are as an individual and as a representative of your state.” While the title brought Erin cash and prizes totaling $4,850.00 it also included a $1,000.00 college scholarship, a $1500.00 Dale Carnegie Public Speaking Course, a professional photo shoot, the use of a personal trainer for a year and an all expenses paid trip to the national Miss America Outstanding Teen competition in Orlando, Florida in August. Erin’s greatest joy is being able to tour the state of Vermont for a whole year and speak to people about issues and causes dear to her heart.

     “I really can’t wait,” grinned Erin. “Not only do I want to meet teens from around America, but I want to share with others the beauty of Vermont and the qualities that make Vermont not only a quality state, but a special place to live. I want to speak to groups of all ages and talk about the real issues facing us including the decline of the family farm, the initiatives for green technology, the cost of education, the needs of our elderly and the need to increase business and opportunities so that our teens can stay here and make this a living in the state they were raised in.”

    Erin lives on a family farm in Bridport and knows first hand the problems facing the dairy industry today. Always smiling and helping out others, she brings to the title a unique mixture of farm girl, civic activist, public speaker and passionate teenager. Speaking and communicating are as natural to Erin as thing as breathing. “I have grown in confidence and have become a stronger person since I began competing and speaking in public,” shared the new Miss Vermont Outstanding Teen. “In the next year I just want to see as much of the state as I can and share my message with as many as possible. I know I am just one teenager, but I want to contribute and even help inspire other teens to become active in their community, school and in using their own voice and freedom of expression.”

    The Miss America Organization is the parent organization of the Outstanding Teenager program and is America’s largest scholarship provider of college money for young women. Founded just three years ago, the Outstanding Teen program is under the guidance of the Miss America Program and has to date made available two million dollars in scholarships to its contestants at state and national levels. With the stated belief that, “…an education is key to a person’s success,” the competition continues to grow annually at an unbelievable rate. Erin is the fourth Vermonter to hold the title.

    As Erin goes through her year, many of us will probably cross paths with her at nursing homes, county fairs, the State House, in her school, on the radio or just at home getting in the hay crop or feeding the heifers. One fact is for sure. When she goes to Orlando to the Rosen Center Hotel August 24-28th, the rest of the country will meet a representative from Vermont that is focused, driven to succeed and willing to share with others the heritage, passion and commitment to life that is the basis of farm life and communities in and around Addison County. The Valley Voice salutes Erin and all teenagers who step outside their comfort zone, take on new challenges, and use their voices to share, serve and inspire those who are within hearing distance. “By the end of the year,” shared Erin, “I have a goal of having spoken to more than 30,000 people. I have already reached the 15,000 mark and want to travel, see, and learn more about my home state. In return, I will share our message with others and hopefully make a difference in the lives of others as well. I just can’t wait to get started!”

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