Miss Alaska Jr. Teen from Wasilla will compete in Orlando pageant

WASILLA — Mylissa Ann Isachsen of Wasilla was crowned the 2007 Miss Alaska Junior Teen on Aug. 25.

Isachsen is a junior at the new Wasilla Technical High School and is the daughter of Edward and Annette Mullen.

She will represent Alaska at the national pageant in Orlando, Fla., in November.

Next year, Isachsen will volunteer, meet city and state officials and being a positive role model for her peers. She’s excited to have this opportunity and hopes to better her community as well as represent Wasilla and Alaska.

In her spare time, Isachsen enjoys showing her pet German shepherds at American Kennel Club dog shows, target shooting at Valley Sportsman’s Rifle Range and using her newly acquired driver’s license. Behind her extra curricular activities, volunteering and schoolwork, she’s a typical teen who loves hanging out with girlfriends, shopping and talking on the phone.

When word that the new technical high school was opening got out, Isachsen immediately applied. After writing an entrance essay and completing a panel interview, she found out she was one of the 270 students accepted. With hopes of pursuing a career in nursing, she has chosen the health care path. She will graduate with her diploma as well as her nursing certificate, after which she will attend the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Isachsen will have a busy schedule of practice and preparation for the national competition with the directors of the pageant, Margo and Kristina Bellamy.

She will practice her interview skills, public speaking, stage presence and poise. She has also has been hard at work with her mother and sister trying to find sponsors to help finance her family traveling to Orlando for the competition. The state pageant was held later than usual this year, giving the queens only about a month to prepare and find financial assistance. National competitors are also required to sell at least two pages of advertisements in the national program book, which is what helps fund the scholarships given to the winners.

Any individuals or businesses interested in sponsorship or advertisement in the National Pageant program book can contact her mother Annette at 775-1234 or e-mail annette.mullen@gmail.com.