Marshalltownian crowned Miss Iowa Teen USA

TODAYS NEWS OCT 10, 2017 SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ

Isabella Russell, 17, a senior at Marshalltown High School, was crowned Miss Iowa Teen USA 2018 in a competition held at the Newton High School Auditorium over the weekend. She will compete at the national level next summer. She is interested in becoming a marine biologist someday.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Isabella Russell, 17, a senior at Marshalltown High School, was crowned Miss Iowa Teen USA 2018 in a competition held at the Newton High School Auditorium over the weekend. She will compete at the national level next summer. She is interested in becoming a marine biologist someday.

Isabella Russell, 17, a senior at Marshalltown High School, was crowned Miss Iowa Teen USA 2018 in a competition held at the Newton High School Auditorium over the weekend.

“It was my first pageant ever,” Russell said. “My sister did one her senior year, and I wanted to do it too.”

The annual competition consists of three parts: evening gown, active wear and undergoing an interview. The contest was held alongside the Miss Iowa USA pageant, wherein Cedar Rapids native Jenny Valliere was crowned. The two winners will receive thousands of dollars in prizes and awards.

“We will participate in pageants on the national level next summer,” Russell said. “[In addition] I will make appearances and do photo shoots.”

The senior is involved in a bevy of extracurricular activities including: cheerleading, choir and show choir, orchestra (she plays the cello), golf and swimming. She participates in drama/theater class, wherein she appears in the school’s theatrical presentations.

“I did ‘Footloose’ last year, and I will be in this year’s musical — ‘Cinderella,'” she said.

Upon graduating from high school, Russell said she sees a career as a marine biologist.

“I had so much fun doing the pageant, and I’m very thankful for the title I was given. I’m very confident I will do well at nationals,” she said.

She is the daughter of Jewl and Dick Russell.

The pageant’s website describes its mission thusly: “The Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Pageants use their global grassroots reach to empower women to be self-confident and strive to be their personal best. Our pageant believes that every woman should be ‘Confidently Beautiful.’ Our pageants provide a platform for these women through dedicated partnerships with charities, sponsors, and brands around the world.”

http://www.timesrepublican.com/news/todays-news/2017/10/marshalltownian-crowned-miss-iowa-teen-usa/