Marisa in the news!

Hyrum teen wins Utah pageant
By Devin Felix
Published:
Thursday, October 8, 2009 1:47 AM CDT

Marisa Nielsen is officially outstanding.

The Mountain Crest High School junior was crowned Saturday as Miss Utah’s Outstanding Teen 2010 after a competition in Provo. The glamour and excitement are nice, but for Marisa, the best part of winning is the chance to help other kids.“She isn’t just in it for the crown and the sparkles,” said Amy Rasmussen, executive director of the Miss Utah’s Outstanding Teen program. “She wants to make a difference.”
Marisa started the “Buddy Box” program last year after winning the Miss Cache Valley Outstanding Teen competition, a program where students can anonymously alert adults about problems they or their friends are facing.
She visited every secondary school in Cache County to deliver boxes. Students dealing with drug problems, depression, eating disorders, bullying, pregnancy or other problems — or those concerned about their friends — can leave an anonymous note in the box. School counselors or teachers check the boxes regularly.
Over the next year, Marisa will speak throughout the state about promoting the Buddy Boxes, which she hopes will eventually be in every secondary school in the state.

She will compete next August in the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant in Orlando, Fla., which is the “little sister pageant” of the Miss America pageant.She will also go to the Miss America pageant to watch Miss Utah Whitney Merrifield compete next January.Marisa said she looks forward to serving as Miss Utah Outstanding Teen for the coming year.“I’m very excited,” Marisa said. “It’s going to be an amazing experience.”Marisa said she thinks she did so well at the competition because she wasn’t overly concerned about winning. Instead, she just hoped to have a good experience and be herself.

That sincerity paid off, Rasmussen said.

“I think it’s a fantastic opportunity,” said Marisa’s mother Maria Nielsen. “It will open many doors and possibilities for Marisa. She’ll be able to give service to a lot of kids.”Marisa is a member of Mountain Crest’s track and volleyball teams. She also participates in local and school theater productions. She plans to study music at Utah State University. She won a $1,000 scholarship and a two-year tuition waiver from USU, along with $3,000 in other prizes