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A teenager from Salt Lake was just awarded the title of America's Junior Miss. It's not a beauty pageant; it's a competition that focuses on academics, talent and fitness.
Lindsey Brinton has accomplished a lot at only 18 years old. Over the weekend in Alabama, she won the title of America's Junior Miss 2008.
Lindsey just got home and explains Junior Miss is about being well rounded. "There is no swimsuit, no crown -- as you can see, I have a medallion -- and we go through rigorous scholastic tests," she said.
Lindsey beat out a girl who got a perfect score on the ACT. Her talent of playing the piano blew the judges away.
Even Gov. Jon Huntsman is impressed. "He said, ‘Way to go! How lucky our country is to have you as a role model. All the best, the Huntsmans,'" Lindsey said.
Besides the medallion, Lindsey gets a lot of scholarship money. "I won $50,000 at the national level. And through the entire competitions, I've earned $62,000 for a college scholarship," she said.
Lindsey just graduated from West High School, where she was the student body president and Homecoming queen. She also lettered in tennis and basketball.
But her mom says through all the achievements, Lindsey is still just Lindsey. "She is so hard working, sweet and genuine, and I don't think this will change her in anyway," Sally Peterson Brinton said.
Lindsey's next big move will be to Harvard this fall, where she'll be using her scholarship earnings to study biochemical engineering. "It's drug research to reverse disease, like diabetes and Alzheimer's, things that impact every American and people throughout the world," she said.
That's not a bad goal, for an 18-year-old.
Lindsey leaves next week for New York for a media tour with her new title. She'll be on MTV and network morning news programs.
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
