Meet The 2013-2014 National American Miss PreTeen Alexis Delgado!

Hello! I am Alexis Janelle Delgado and I live in the small town of Saint Cloud, Florida. I relocated from Illinois about three years ago and am thrilled to be 30 minutes away from Disney World, “The Happiest Place on Earth”.  I am a seventh grade student at Saint Cloud Middle School, where I am a straight “A” student involved in both choir and drama. I am constantly on stage at my local theatre,  The Osceola Center for the Arts. When I’m not actively representing my drama troupe at Junior Thespians, you can find me volunteering. I proudly have over 2400 hours of community service and was named a Disney Dreamer and Doer for my volunteer service! The foundation closest to my heart is the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. This year I was chosen as a JDRF Children’s Congress Delegate from Florida!! I traveled to Washington DC and spoke on Capitol Hill about how diabetes affects my life. I am so thrilled to be your 2013-2014 National American Miss Preteen and I look forward to representing each and every girl who vied for this title!

I am NAM strong! 

Tiffany: How did you get involved in National American Miss?

Lexi: I got started with NAM by watching my sister compete. She actually started a year before I did. My parents asked me if I wanted to do it the following year and I competed in the Princess division. I was very quiet so I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it, but I had so much fun! I wanted to do it again!

Tiffany: How did you prepare for the National Pageant?

Lexi: I am extremely busy, since I am involved in school, theatre and community service. Before nationals, I was in 3 shows and had 2 lead roles. I didn’t have much time to do anything else but school work and memorize lines! Needless to say, I didn’t have much time to prepare myself, but looking back I think that is what helped me most. I was able to just enjoy nationals without all the added pressure. I did memorize my introduction and practiced my formal wear every once in a while though.

Tiffany: What is the best advice you have ever received?

Lexi: The best advice I have ever been given is to just be myself.  God loves us just the way we are and He created us in His image. We should be proud of how He made us.

Tiffany: What quote, motto, or scripture best describes you?

Lexi: “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”Walt Disney

It reminds me to never give up and always follow my dreams!

Tiffany: What are your plans for the future?

 Lexi: I would love, love, love to be on Broadway one day!  I plan on attending my local performing arts high school and hopefully make it in to Juilliard for college. Musical theatre is my passion and I hope to sing and dance on the big stage one day.

School Drama Productions! 

Tiffany: What activities are you involved in?

Lexi: I am involved in my school drama and choir program. I am a member of the Junior Thespian Society and compete with them every year. I also am involved in my community theatre where I perform on the main stage, Children’s Theatre, and a competing drama group called “Centertainers”. I  am a spokesperson for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and a member of JDRF Children’s Congress. I also dance and do tumbling. I am also constantly volunteering for various things! Just writing all this down makes me see how busy I am!

Tiffany: What do you like to do for fun?

Lexi: I am a HUGE Disney fan! On my free days, you will find my friends and  me riding Space Mountain or Splash Mountain in Disney World. Living so close to Disney is a huge blessing!

Tiffany: What is one item you can’t live without?

Lexi: I can not live with out my diabetes pump! It is my lifeline and it makes sure I am receiving the insulin I need. I thank God for modern technology and for making it a little easier to deliver insulin. It’s one reason I work so closely with the JDRF.

Tiffany: Who is your rolemodel?

Lexi: Miss Delaware 2010 inspires me every single day. She has alopecia, like me, and has become a huge public figure for Alopecia awareness. She has shown me that beauty is truly within and that I am beautiful with or without hair. Her smile and positive outlook on life is contagious and I hope to be like her.

Tiffany: What is your favorite TV show?

 Lexi: “ Dance Moms” has to be one of my favorite shows. I love watching the girls compete and the new routines that they learn. I am inspired by the girls and how hard they work on their dance techniques.

With My Sister, we are volunteering for JDRF!

Tiffany: What is the biggest misconception about your generation?

 Lexi: The biggest misconception is that Social Media has taken over our lives. I love doing Facebook and InstaGram, but I love hanging out and talking with my friends even more. There’s nothing like putting down your cell phone and just chatting away with your best friend.

Tiffany: What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?

Lexi: People are constantly getting my sister and I confused, although she is 3 years older than I am. One time she was performing in a musical and I happened to be in the lobby just hanging around before the show was about to start! The director was strolling by and looked really confused! He asked me why I was in the lobby, and that the show was about to start.  I had to explain that it was my sister in the show and not me.  We definitely had a big laugh!

Tiffany: If you had three wishes what would you wish for?

 Lexi: For obvious reasons, I would wish for a cure for all illnesses. Having two diseases has allowed to me to view life differently and wish that everyone could be healthy.  I also would wish to travel to New York to see my favorite musical of all time, Phantom of the Opera! The last thing I would wish for it to be able to meet Idina Menzel who played the original Elphaba is Wicked. She is one of my biggest inspirations!

Tiffany:  If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?

Lexi: I would definitely go to England! I love their accents and could just sit and listen to them talk. I would love to visit the historical places there and see the Queen’s castle. It’s definitely a dream of mine to see England one day. It would be cool to pick up the accent!

Tiffany: What is your definition of a NAM girl?

 Lexi: The nice thing about a NAM girl is that she is undefined! She can be the girls next door, the girl down the street or the girl that stares back at you when you look in the mirror. NAM represents every single type of girl. NAM girls are unique!

The first walk as The 2013-2014 National American Miss PreTeen!

 Tiffany: If you could be on the cover of any Magazine what would it be? 

Lexi: I would definitely be on the cover of a Type I Diabetes magazine. I would share my story about how I was chosen as a JDRF Children’s Congress Delegate. I went to Washington DC this past summer and spoke on Capitol Hill about how diabetes effects my life. I was able to meet the Vice President and shared with him my struggles with diabetes. It was an experience that impacted my life and I will never be the same. I was surrounded with other children with diabetes and for once felt “normal”. My hope is to one day see a cure.

 Tiffany: If you were stranded on a deserted island what three things could you not live without? 

Lexi: My family, my dog, and my crown/banner. I can not live without my parents and siblings, they mean the world to me. My dog brings me joy and I can’t imagine one day without her. I have also dreamed about being a national queen for so long, I would have to take my crown and banner with me.

Tiffany: What is your most prized possession?

 Lexi: My most prized possession is my dog, Tinkerbell. She is a Maltese and makes me so happy! I love putting bows in her hair. She is always at the door waiting when I get home and loves to get belly rubs.  She is constantly making me smile and laugh.

Tiffany: How would your friends describe you?

 Lexi: My friends would definitely say I am the outgoing, giggling, smiling girl. I love to make people laugh and am constantly laughing myself. They would tell you that I take pride in my work, whether it’s in the classroom or on the stage.

Tiffany: How are you making a difference in your community?

Lexi: I am constantly volunteering in my community. I volunteer at my local community center, donate toys to local hospitals, volunteer with the JDRF, hold donation drives and much more! I have over 2400 hours of community service so I am always doing something. My biggest accomplishment is being a member of Children’s Congress. I was able to speak on Capitol Hill about how diabetes is part of my life and about my dreams for a cure.

On Capital Hill with Vice President Joe Biden 

 Tiffany: What is your favorite childhood memory? 

Lexi: My favorite memory is the first time I went to Disney World. I loved everything about it! It was such a magical place and I loved meeting the characters and riding all the rides. It still is a magical place for me. Now I am lucky to live just 30 minutes from there. I am always there with family or friends. I would have to say my favorite ride is Space mountain!

 Tiffany: If you could be famous for something, what would you want to be famous for?

Lexi: I would love to win a Tony award one day for my performance on Broadway. I love singing, dancing and acting. I hope to make it my profession one day.

    Tiffany: What is your favorite book? and why?

Lexi: The “Hunger Games” series are some of my favorite books. Katniss is a girl who faces her fears and overcomes them. She is a strong girl and it reminds me to always have strength in everything I face.

     Tiffany: Where is your favorite place to shop?

Lexi: I love accessories so I love shopping at Claire’s. You can always catch me wearing some type of bow in my hair, earrings or other accessories.  It’s great being a girl!

     Tiffany: Who is the most influential person in the world now?

Lexi: The most influential person the world right now is you. You can choose to make a difference in the world. All you have to do is look around you and see who needs help. You can be that person who makes an impact on your local community by volunteering. No task is too small.

With my sister after a theatre production! 

Tiffany: What have you learned about yourself since competing in pageants?

           Lexi: I have learned that I am a strong confident girl. When I first started, I was very shy. My parents thought I would be scared on stage. I obviously showed them different and loved being up there. It has made me so confident. Because of pageants, musical theatre has opened up to me. I also started volunteering because of pageants and am now a spokesperson for the JDRF. Pageants have shown me that working off the stage is even more important than my work on the stage. Pageants have opened up the door to my platform of diabetes awareness.

 Tiffany:  What is your definition of success? 

Lexi: My definition of success is being the best person you can possibly be. It doesn’t take much to brighten someone’s day; share a smile, say “Hello” or volunteer to help out. It’s the small things that mean so much. Giving everything you do your all is definitely success in my eyes.

    Tiffany: What advice do you have for future NAM girls?

            Lexi: I know it sounds cliché, but honestly just be yourself. You are the best one to be you. Be confident in who you are. Know what you like and dislike. Most of all, don’t forget to smile and have fun!

  Tiffany: What things do you hope to accomplish during your year of service?

Lexi: My biggest thing I would love to accomplish is to bring awareness to girls with disabilities. I live with Type I Diabetes and Alopecia on a daily basis. I am proof that no matter what you are going through,  you can accomplish anything your heart desires. I hope to inspire all girls to never give up on your dreams and continue striving to be the best person you can be.

Volunteering with my sister queens! 

Tiffany: What would you like to be doing 10 years from now?

Lexi: I would love to be a college graduate and living in NYC performing in a hit Broadway Musical.

Tiffany: If someone could live your life for a week, what would they find most interesting?

Lexi: What they would find interesting is that I have to count every single carbohydrate I eat! Diabetes is part of my life and I have to correct what I eat with insulin so I have to count      everything I eat. I am always reading food labels or asking for nutritional guides at restaurants. They would also find out how I balance diabetes with everyday life. I am always on the go, doing theatre or volunteering, so I have something sweet on me all the time to help me if my sugar goes low.

Tiffany: What is the best compliment you have ever received?

Lexi: I am constantly complimented on my smile. People tend to remember me be because of it. It’s one way of showing people that you are confident and that you care.

The 2013-2014 National American Miss Teen Alexis ( Lexi) Delgado!