RCC student Liliana Locklear to compete in Miss NC Teen USA competition

One of Robeson Community College’s dually enrolled students, Liliana Locklear, is gearing up for the Miss Teen USA competition this Friday and Saturday, which will be held in High Point.

Locklear is no stranger to pageants, in 2021 she was named Miss NC Junior High. A resident of Pembroke, Locklear will be one of 35 young women from across the state vying for the crown of Miss NC Teen USA.

“I am very proud to represent Robeson County and showcase my culture and the things that Robeson County has taught me on a state-wide level,” Locklear said. “If I win, it will give me a platform to advocate for people who feel like they are the only one in a crowded room.”

As for what she hopes to achieve if crowned as Miss NC Teen USA?

“I would like to implement a mental health curriculum in elementary and middle schools across the State of North Carolina by speaking with Congressmen,” Locklear stated.

Even if she doesn’t win, Locklear says she is honored to be a part of the competition.

“I plan to grow from this experience by being able to showcase who I am and my community,” Locklear said.

Preliminaries will take place on Friday, February 24 at the High Point Theatre. Finalists will be chosen and the new queens will be crowned during the finals competition on Saturday evening. Winners will be crowned by the reigning Miss USA, Morgan Romano.

Win or lose, Locklear has big plans for the future, which include possibly attending the North Carolina School of Science and Math next year, and going after a medical degree in Neuroscience at Harvard University.

“Harvard has the top-ranked neuroscience program in the US,” stated Locklear. “I want to study neuroscience because it is closely related to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, which runs in my family,”

Locklear hopes to become a benefactor for the treatment of those two conditions, helping to solve medical mysteries, which currently have no cure.

As for this weekend, if you can’t make it to High Point to cheer Liliana on, you can still watch the pageant live by visiting www.pageantslive.com. There is a $40 fee that covers both the Miss NC Teen USA and Miss NC USA competitions, which are taking place simultaneously in the Furniture Capital of the World.