DRAPER — As the 2007-2008 school year begins, Miss Utah Teen USA’s reign will come to an end in mid-October. Kelsey Brigel, a senior at Juan Diego Catholic High School, said being Miss Utah Teen USA has been a rewarding experience. Brigel was crowned Sept. 23, 2006, in Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah during her junior year. She is a member of St. John the Baptist Parish, one of seven student body vice presidents, a student ambassador, and a National Honor Society member. Her role as a student body officer is public relations. "It is unfortunate that Caitlin Upton, Miss South Carolina Teen USA, messed up in answering a question at the Miss Teen USA pageant Aug. 24, in Pasadena, Calif.," said Brigel. "Everybody messes up, and it is unfortunate that it happened to her on national television. It does not speak for her intelligence or the group as a whole. The median grade point average of the contestants is 3.7. This adds fuel to the fire that all pageant contestants are just a pretty face or a mindless beauty. " Brigel decided to pursue the Miss Utah Teen USA title because of a knee injury, four surgeries in the last three years, and an inability to play sports. She talked to Kelly Chapman, Miss Utah USA 2003, about her experience and it was positive. "There was a $1,000 entry fee for the pageant," said Brigel. "I did not want to pay it and I did not want to ask my parents for the money, so I raised $1,500 through local community and business sponsorships, and a car wash. I knew that would pay for a gown and a swimming suit, and my parents could not say no because of the cost. I also raised $3,000 for the national pageant. It taught me a lot about not having any inhibitions in promoting myself." Brigel said she won a pretty spectacular prize package with the title. The year started out with appearances at charity events, such as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), for whom she also spoke at a couple of schools in the Salt Lake Valley. Brigel said she was a big sister and helped raise funds to advocate how important it is for people to become involved, and how much it means to the children in the program. She also helped raise funds for the Boys and Girls Club of Utah with Heather Anderson, Miss Utah USA 2007. Together, they advocated for the different charities, and offered a role model with whom young people could identify. "I never expected to win the Miss Utah Teen," said Brigel. "I have been able to do so many wonderful things that I never would have been able to even dream of as a result of this title. But now I am focusing on attending college and starting a whole new journey in my life. I have learned a lot and met a lot of people who have taught me things about their lives and how to better my own life." Brigel always thought she would like to be in broadcast journalism and anchor something like the "Today Show," but in the last two years her aspirations have changed direction. "For many years the idea of death frightened me," said Brigel. "I have always been so uncomfortable with it. Then two years ago my grandfather died, and now I would like to study obstetrics and gynecology. My grandfather was always the man in my life who believed so much in God. He told me to never be afraid of what happens, and just have faith. Then when he passed away, it was really hard for me to handle. So I started to pray, and I really felt like there was a real connection between life and death and heaven and where my grandfather is now. I want to have a profession where I can gratify life and bring life into the world. "I have researched schools like Duke University in Durham, N.C. and Boston College in Massachusetts," said Brigel. "My mother went to the University of Southern California, and I really fell in love with that school as well. So I will see what happens."
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