Sophia Nawaz, Class of 2022, was crowned Miss Louisiana’s Outstanding Teen on Sunday, June 13 at the annual competition held in Monroe, Louisiana. Sophia was selected from a group of twenty teen contestants competing at the state level.

Sophia’s platform issue is cultural diversity, and she hopes to use her role as a Pakistani – American Miss Outstanding Teen to educate people of all ages on this topic, serve as a model of inclusion, and empower and build the confidence of young girls of various ethnicities. “I want to be a role model for those that are from different ethnicities and show them that you can be whatever you want to be and accomplish whatever you put your heart to,” said Sophia after being crowned.

In her platform essay, Sophia references an ASH alumna - Kayla Allain, who now serves as the school’s Multicultural Education and Inclusion Services Program Coordinator - as her inspiration on the topic of cultural diversity. “She talks about these issues today, what these terms mean, and how to handle certain situations… When talking about topics like these, she is the person to go to.” Sophia looks forward to using her platform and social media to promote the brand of the Miss Louisiana Outstanding Teen pageant and the opportunities it provides for scholarships and raising awareness of topics and current events important to teens today.

During the pageant, Sophia showcased her vocal talent by singing “C’est Si Bon.” Since she was nine years old, Sophia has performed with Louisiana Kids, Access Broadway and the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival. She participates in the Girls Rock New Orleans summer camp, the Sacred Heart dance and drama teams, and performs as Princess Jasmine for When you Wish Entertainment. Outside of the performing arts, Sophia also participates in the Mock Trial team at Sacred Heart and has been named to the Honor Roll since 8^th grade.

As the Outstanding Teen selected from Louisiana, Sophia will perform songs at the upcoming Miss Louisiana competition scheduled for June 17-19 in Monroe and crown the winner of the pageant. She will also go on to represent the state at the national Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition in Orlando, Florida in July.

Photo credit: Steven Palowsky Photography, LLC