Winning the title of Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen will alter Grace Post’s life this year, but the rising high school junior said she is happy to adjust.

“It still feels a little different,” Post said of being crowned 2015 Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen Saturday night at the City Auditorium. “I think I’m getting there. I think I have adapted just a little bit, and I am ready to make relationships with such an amazing group of people.”

Post, crowned at the 11th annual competition, said she is looking forward to becoming involved with all the new experiences her title will offer.

“I am very excited I will be able to visit Blair E. Batson Hospital and get to know the kids there, and I think I will get to become more involved in my community and learn more about Mississippi,” she said.

Post, who was one of 23 competitors for the title, is the daughter of Elizabeth and Jim Post. She attends Madison Central High School where she is on the all “A” honor roll, a member of the Beta Club and enrolled in accelerated English and math courses. Post said she has also set a goal of becoming a National Merit semi-finalist.

“I take school very seriously,” she said adding she was told her responsibilities, as the reigning Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen will not interfere with her study schedule.

Post will attend a PSAT camp this summer, she said, and added she feels her academic goals will also benefit her aspirations of one day competing for the Miss Mississippi title.

“When I was little I always watched the Miss Mississippi Pageant. It was so amazing looking at all the dresses and everything,” she said.

Post said she decided to become involved in pageants after competing in a Beauty and Beau Pageant her freshman year of high school, and from this experience she said her pageant coach introduced her to the Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen Pageant competition.

“I met some of the girls who were in [the Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen Pageant] and thought this was something I really wanted to do because it is just like Miss Mississippi, and it would help me achieve my goal and dream of becoming Miss Mississippi one day,” Post said.

During the talent portion of the competition, Post performed a ballet en point to the Spanish Dance from the Nutcracker.

She will go on to represent Mississippi at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant which will be held July 28 through Aug.1, in Orlando.

The Miss Mississippi Pageant, the sister pageant to the teen pageant, is scheduled to run June 24 through 27 at the Vicksburg Convention Center, 1600 Mulberry St. Preliminary rounds will be held June 24 through 26. The top 10 contestants will be announced June 27, and the new Miss Mississippi will be crowned. Tickets are $125 for all four nights, $30 for June 24 and 25, $40 for June 26 and $50 for June 27. For more information, call 601-638-6746, visit missmississippipaggeant.com/the-event/or download the Miss Mississippi App to your smartphone.