Leah Sykes is literally an “All-American Girl.” The Jacksonville native, who has four siblings and is currently homeschooled, plans to attend Nashville’s Belmont University and dreams of becoming a recording artist. The 17-year-old is also completing her year-long reign as Miss America’s Outstanding Teen 2014! During her span, Sykes has traveled throughout Florida and the country volunteering for projects for numerous organizations and fundraisers, while also raising awareness about the importance of ‘giving back.’ “I’ve learned of so many organizations out there that help people which I wouldn’t have known about if I wasn’t in this role,” Sykes said. “Throughout this year, I thought I’d make a difference in other people’s lives, but they’ve made a difference in mine as well. My character has grown.”

Considered the “little sister” of Miss America, the Miss American Outstanding Teen (MAOTeen) program aims to encourage positive achievement by helping to nurture and build the scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living, and community involvement of our nation’s youth. “When it comes to community service, the MAOTeen organization believes that our culture sends strong messages to seek one’s own self-interest first, to amass as much as one can, and to consume without regard for one’s neighbor,” said Steve Frocchi, vice president of marketing and development for MAOTeen. “In contrast, our organization encourages our local, state, and national titleholders to actively listen and learn from others, to walk alongside their neighbors, and to build new relationships. The transformative effect of service continues to mold and shape their lives, giving them hope of a better world.”

Sykes certainly can attest to that. The devoted runner, who logs 12 miles each day, was already tutoring two brothers with autism while simultaneously taking high school and college classes prior to deciding to enter the MAOTeen competition. “I was initially drawn to the pageant system when I saw a friend compete at age 12,” Sykes recalls, adding that she began competing after “I discovered singing and wanted a platform for that.” The first-time pageant participant won the crown and embarked on the year-long journey that has allowed her to continue to work with children ─ a personal passion of hers ─ while also creating her own organization in honor of her grandmother who passed away from Lou Gehrig’s Disease. “My grandmother was very active before she became disabled. She loved the beach and playing golf,” Sykes said. “It was really hard to see those things taken from her.”

Following a visit to Grommet Island Park in Virginia, which features a beach designed for disabled individuals, Sykes was inspired to launch Beach for EveryBODY, an initiative aimed at opening a similar specialized area at Jacksonville beach. The space would allow for wheelchair and walker access on top of a soft mat that extends into the sand, an eye-level sandcastle-building station, wheelchair connection swings on the shore, and specially-designed wheelchairs geared for sand usage. “I wanted to leave my footprint,” Sykes explains of her vision. “If I could dream the biggest, every one of our beaches would have one of these areas. It would be really wonderful.”

While working on the beach project in her home state, Sykes frequently travels with her mother to represent her title at events throughout the country. Her time in November at the US Dream Academy in Philadelphia, which hopes to break the cycle of incarceration by working with the children of jailed parents, stands out as a memorable experience; in part because she feared that she would fail to connect with the Academy’s children. “Instead, we talked about goal-setting,” Sykes said. “I really like working with underprivileged children. They inspire me.”

Sykes will pass the crown to her successor at the MAOTeen competition to be held July 29 – August 2, 2014 in Orlando. Sykes says she is looking forward to the festivities alongside the 2015 pageant hopefuls, including the chance to visit local organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House. “Each day serving as Miss America’s Outstanding Teen brings opportunities to serve, share, learn, and grow. As Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, our titleholder is ready, willing, and able to make a difference every day through doing,” Frocchi said. “If you do not choose to lead, you will forever be led by others. Miss America’s Outstanding Teen is a leader.”

Sykes encourages teenagers of all backgrounds to find a cause and/or project where they want to invest their time and energy. “Find an organization that’s really personal to you and that you can really connect to,” Sykes advised. “Volunteering has really become an important part of my life. I can’t believe I went 16 years without it in my life.” The pageant will not be televised, but tickets to attend are available through Ticketmaster. The event, held at the Rosen Centre and the Linda Chapman Theater within the Orange County Convention Center, is expected to draw more than 5,000 participants and guests! For more information, visit MAOTeen.org.