Laura Piper, daughter of Steve and Susan Piper, of Albert Lea, will be among the candidates competing for the title of Miss Teen of Minnesota at the 2011 State Pageant, which will be held July 22 to 24 in St. Cloud. The winner of the pageant competition will receive a $1,000 cash scholarship and a $500 U.S. Savings Bond. The new state titleholder will also be eligible to compete for the National Title of Miss Teen of America and vie for additional scholarships, awards and prizes.

Each state candidate will be scored in six judging categories, which are: scholastic record, achievement and service to school and community, general awareness written test, personal development of talents and skills, personality projection in formal wear and interview. National Pageant Founder, Warren Alexander, stated, “This pageant truly represents the young women of the twenty-first century. Sixty percent of the scoring involves written resumes and testing, with the strongest single category being the interview with the judges.”

The State Pageant Finals will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in Atwood Center on the St. Cloud University Campus. The event is open to the general public, and tickets will be available for purchase at the door. Special guests will include the current reigning Miss Teen of Minnesota, Casey Boerner of Watertown.