MINOT, ND ( KXNET ) — When not competing in pageants you can find the current Miss North Dakota Teen USA helping take care of her two siblings and cheering at her high school.

Jaycee Parker may have only lived in Minot for about a year, but the Alabama native is not new to the pageant life she started at six years old.

Parker says that when preparing for a pageant it’s more about keeping her mind sharp than finding the right dress or practicing.

“Yes, that’s important but you also have to make sure that your mind is in the right place that way you can focus and do your best and not worry about everybody else,” said Parker.

There were several different prize packages for winners in different categories, but for landing the title of Miss North Dakota Teen USA, Jaycee Parker won.

“Obviously the crown and the banner, I got flowers. I received an older sister, her name is Codi Miller, she is the Miss North Dakota USA,” said Parker.

Contestants competed in three different categories: an interview with the judges, a fitness competition, and an evening gown event.

The girls that made it to the top five also had to answer questions that they drew out of a fishbowl, but that wasn’t the most challenging thing for Parker.

“Was just keeping my nerves down. I always get stage fright you know a little jittery you get butterflies in your tummy before you go on stage. But I also knew when I went on stage everything was going to be okay it was going to be in God’s hands you know my family was out there,” said Parker.

Parker says the best part of winning Miss North Dakota Teen USA goes beyond the prizes and the title.

“It means getting to be a role model for my younger generation. Growing up with two younger siblings, you know, I have always kind of had to be a role model for them so getting to you know do it for girls that want to be involved in pageantry or even girls who need a role model or someone to be that person for them it is a really good opportunity for me,” said Parker.

Part of being Miss North Dakota Teen USA is working in the community, and drawing inspiration from her own travels, Parker makes alarm key chains for teens who may be traveling alone.

They remind girls to be aware of their surroundings, especially with the uptick in human trafficking around the world.

“Especially when I started driving and going to a gas station late at night, having that pull alarm on your key chain allows you to ward off the people who are coming near you,” said Parker.

In the future, she wants to partner with Polaris which is the number one human trafficking hotline.

Also, she wants to build the safety key chain by adding more features to it such as a mace, a seatbelt cutter, and a window breaker.

Parker says right now she doesn’t know what she wants to do for a career when she gets older, she’s trying to decide between a lawyer, a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader, a pediatric oncologist, or joining the Air Force.

She will be competing in Nationals in Hollywood on August 1 and the pageant will be live on the CW, so make sure to tune in.

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