Miss Teen USA 2014 is 17-year-old South Carolina high school student K. Lee Graham, who said winning the crown over the weekend was like "a dream come true."
"I can't even talk right now. This is literally a dream come true," the now-former Miss South Carolina said after placing first in the pageant,
which was held Saturday in the Bahamas, according to E! News. "Thank you for supporting me. We did it!"
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Graham, from Chaplin, South Carolina, said she plans to use her new title to promote her "Beauty Secrets campaign," which focuses on teens being happy with who they are instead of
focusing on superficial looks, according to The Associated Press.
During the question-and-answer portion of the Miss Teen USA 2014 competition, Graham was asked how she wanted teenagers to be viewed 100 years from now. She said she hopes they'll be remembered as agents of change.
Graham beat out first runner-up Miss Mississippi Vaeda Mann, who was listed as one of the five favorites to
win the pageant, according to Miss Universe USA's own website.
"In the end, the judges couldn't resist the charm of Miss South Carolina," E! News noted.
The event saw 51 girls competing for the title. Fifteen of the contestants were selected for the semifinals, which included the traditional bikini catwalk competition.
From there, Graham and the contestants from California, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania were selected for the finals, which featured the question-and-answer session.
According to the Miss Universe USA website, Graham will have the chance to spend the next year living in New York City with Miss Universe and Miss USA as a student of The New York Film Academy, representing her work with multiple charitable alliances, including Best Buddies, Sparrow Clubs, Girl Talk, D.A.R.E., and Project Sunshine.
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