'Full-circle moment': Raleigh native crowned Miss America's Teen

A Raleigh native was crowned Miss America's Teen Saturday night.

Miss North Carolina's Teen 2023, Hanley House, took home the crown at the weekend competition at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando, Florida.

Miss America’s Teen – the teen division of the Miss America program for young women ages 13 to 18 – included 51 contestants from across the United States competing in three categories: Fitness, evening gown and talent.

"I jumped about 10 feet off the air last night," House said. "I literally cannot believe it."

House is the first North Carolinian to hold this title. House added this was her third-ever pageant.

"Less than a year ago, I competed for my first prelim for Miss North Carolina and I got the title for Miss Cleveland, which is my hometown," House explained. "After that I went straight to Miss North Carolina, I had a goal of making top-15 at Miss North Carolina. Six months later, I'm Miss America Teen. It's such a surreal and full-circle moment."

She was born in Raleigh and has studied at ballet programs throughout the country, including Alonzo King Lines Ballet in San Francisco as well as Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. House is a student at Cleveland High School in Johnston County and plans to further her education by studying architecture and design while performing on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "Carolina Girls" dance team.

She said she her community service initiative was Passion to Profit, a non-profit aimed at helping young teens get their start in small businesses, ranging from obtaining clients, making a digital marketing strategy to building a social media presence.

House said she used the program to create her own business at 10 years old to help pay for prestigious dance schools. She now wants to use her platform to help others utilize the program that helped her get her start.

House said the non-profit gave her so much more than a monetary return.

"As a sole proprietor, young entrepreneur and small business owner, I was able to learn a lot of real-world skills a lot of teens lack today," she said. "Community reinvestment, brand marketing, financial management, all things that are critical for teens to learn. Now, I'm advocating for it on a national level.

House said wouldn't have made it to the top without her family and friends.

"All of the hard work, the late nights, the early mornings, it's all worth it now," Housa said.

As the winner of the Miss America's Teen competition, House was awarded a $60,000 scholarship to a school of her choosing or a 4-year scholarship to the University of Alabama.

The court included first runner up, Ohio; second runner up, Oklahoma; third runner up, Texas and fourth runner up, Kentucky.