Burlington Teen to Compete for Miss America’s Outstanding Teen

A Burlington teen will be representing the state is a national competition meant to highlight the achievements of young women and promote education. 

Kristina Ayanian, 16, a junior at Burlington High School, will travel to Orlando, Florida to represent Massachusetts at the ninth annual Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Scholarship Pageant.  

From August 9 to 17, 52 national contestants will be in Orlando for a week of press events, rehearsals, and community appearances leading up to the selection of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen 2014.  Rachel Wyatt of South Carolina the reigning MAO Teen, will be crowning her successor on Saturday, August 17. 

For over 93 years, the Miss America Organization has been helping young women achieve their goals and dreams.  52 contestants, each representing their states along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, will showcase their talents and compete for over $150,000 in scholarship assistance and the opportunity to travel the United States promoting scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community service for America's teens, a release states. 

Since its inception in 2005, the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant, known as “the little sister of the Miss America Pageant” has made available over $4,000,000 in scholarships, the release adds. 

Ayanian, competing as an at-large contestant, won the title of Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen in February at a state competition.  

At Burlington High School she is a two time recipient of the Presidential Outstanding Academic Excellence Award, a recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver Level Awards, a recipient of Citizenship Spanish and Sportsmanship Awards and a recipient of the Prelacy Award in Armenian Studies. She is a Principal's Advisors Board Member, Burlington High School Tutor/Mentor and is a certified alcohol education instructor for the Burlington Public Schools. 

Ayanian is also a writer and she has published a short story "Anthology of Short Stories by Young Americans." 

She has had training in voice, acting, dance, and piano and has received several awards and recognition in all of these genres. She has been in many community and professional theater productions, but playing piano is her passion and she has been privileged to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. At the national competition, she will perform a classical piano selection. 

Ayanian is also a corresponding reporter for Teen Kids News on the ABC Network and recently had the opportunity to travel to Nashville to interview HRH Prince Edward of England at the inaugural Duke of Edinburgh Award Ceremony hosted by Governor and Mrs. Bill Haslam at the Tennessee Governor's Mansion. She recently was cast as the Junior Co-Host of the TV series ”Cool Stuff Dolphins" in partnership with the National Marine Life Center.

Volunteerism has played a very important role in Kristina’s life, the release states. She has volunteered for many different organizations and charities since early childhood.  She initiated the Our Young Stars program; visited and brought financial help and English-language books to orphanages in Armenia; and visited and distributed stuffed animals and books to pediatric patients at Massachusetts General Hospital that could not go home for the holidays on Christmas day.

 Ayanian is using her title as Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen to spread awareness through her platform entitled Food Is Not A Privilege, It Is A Right ~ Fighting Hunger Today.  Her year of service will be devoted to educating and spreading awareness of the problem of hunger in our communities. She advocates for local food banks and programs that provide nutritious food supplements for needy families.  She has worked with the Project Bread Organization as their Youth Volunteer Leader for the Walk for Hunger and raises funds and food donations through initiatives she has created such as Mother-Daughter Luncheons and her Music for Food program with area performing arts schools.  

Her future plans are to graduate from high school and then attend college where she will major in Broadcasting. Ultimately she hopes to receive her PhD in Communications. Her career ambition is to become a Sports Broadcast Journalist. 

Kristina is the daughter of Lousine and Serdak Ayanian. 

A Send-Off Reception in Kristina’s honor will take place on Saturday, August 3rd from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Romano’s Macaroni Grille in Burlington.