Olivia Bohleber, age 16, competed in and won the title of Miss Illinois Teen USA 2017, hosted in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. This pageant was a four day event held over Labor Day weekend, September 2 through September 5. Any girl age 14-18 in the state of Illinois may apply to enter this pageant. There were 55 girls competing for this year’s title. Each contestant competes in three equal phases of preliminary competition: athletic wear, evening gown, and interview. This is the first year the Miss Universe Organization decided on athletic wear, rather than swimwear, for their teen contestants. After the scores were added up, the top 15 girls were selected. These 15 girls competed again in the same three phases of competition. Their old scores were discarded and scoring basically started over. Once the new scores were added up, the top-5 girls were announced. Each top-5 contestant then had two onstage questions. The first question came from one of the judges; the second question was submitted by a fellow contestant. Each judge selected the order they would place the top-5 girls, starting with winner, 1st runner-up and so-on through 4th runner-up.
Olivia Bohleber is a Junior at Carmi-White County High School. She has been a cheerleader in school since her freshman year, however, her love for cheerleading began at age five. Being both a high school cheerleader and an All-Star cheerleader in the past, the sport has taught Olivia invaluable lessons she will never forget. Also, Olivia is a member of her high school’s track team. Last year, Olivia advanced to state with her 4×400 meter relay team. She is also secretary of her class, an officer for Girls’ Athletic Club, a Student Council member, and an active member in Key Club, STEM Club, Math Team, Bulldog Book Club, and Maroon Platoon. Last year, Olivia held the position of Lieutenant Governor for her state district in Key Club. Olivia is very proud to say she has maintained a 4.0 GPA since kindergarten with her goal to be her high school’s valedictorian. Outside of school, Olivia is an active member in 4-H and has been since she was eight years old. Being in 4-H has helped her become a well-rounded person with varied interests. She has taken projects in public speaking, cooking, livestock, photography, horse shows, art, and fashion/modeling. She is also active in her community, having completed over 500 hours of community service.
In 2012, Olivia competed in her first pageant, Jr. Miss White County. After not winning, Olivia competed again in 2013. That year she won her very first pageant, Jr. Miss White County 2013. A year later, she decided to try for Miss Merry Christmas 2014, in White County, Illinois, and she took home the crown. A few months before the 2017 Miss Illinois Teen USA pageant, Olivia decided she would like to compete. Her goal for her first year in this prestigious pageant was to hopefully make the top 15, but to her surprise, she came home with the crown!
This year will be a busy one for Olivia. Olivia is spending her first few months of being Miss Illinois Teen USA advocating for Operation Christmas Child. She has been to schools to speak on behalf of Operation Christmas Child. Along with speaking, she has also started collecting items to pack in shoeboxes. Her goal is to make 200 shoeboxes before the deadline of November 20, 2016. After that, she hopes to work with other organizations such as Best Buddies, Smile Train, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and walk in Out of the Darkness Community Walks, along with visiting places close to her heart, such as, St. Jude’s and the Ronald McDonald House. She also plans to speak to schools about the importance of taking education seriously, setting goals early, and working hard in school to achieve those goals. In addition, she wants to travel across Illinois to hold her “Girl of Beauty Spa Day.” The “Girl of Beauty Spa Day” is a day where girls can come, free of charge, to learn about the importance of hygiene and manners. Because of Olivia’s fair skin, light hair, and blue eyes, when Olivia was younger, her mother always kept her out of the sun and never allowed her to use tanning beds. Olivia says, “When I was younger, I didn’t enjoy my mom reapplying sunscreen on me every two hours, but now, I am thankful that she did. I now know how important it is for all people to take care of their skin and be happy in their own skin.” These experiences have influenced Olivia’s career choice of becoming a dermatologist.
Although the exact date and location has not been announced, in previous years, Miss Teen USA was held during the last part of July. Previously, nationals were held in the Bahamas and last year, they moved it to Las Vegas, Nevada. All 50 state winners will go on to compete in Miss Teen USA.
Vanbros and Associates Inc. covers state winners from Illinois, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. They will be scheduling appearances upon request in the girls’ respective states. Also, Olivia will be making as many appearances as she possibly can on her own, as well as attending and helping at numerous community service events. She will also be appearing in local and statewide parades. If you would like her to attend an event or speak, you may send an email request to [email protected] or call (618) 599-4600 or (618) 382-5333.
