This year America's Junior Miss is Nora Ali

Minnesota's Nora Ali (a high school senior at South St. Paul) won a $50,000 scholarship along with the America's Junior Miss medal this year. The seventeen years old's parents are Bangladeshi immigrants. She expressed that she wants to enlighten Bangladesh's image in America.

(Photo credit- the Daily Amader Shomoy)

This report shows that she's more than a beauty pageant:

Ali is a member of the National Honor Society, is ranked No. 1 in her graduating class, is captain of the Knowledge and Math Teams and still finds time to take Indian Dance classes. Nora has also performed as a solo violinist for the Minnesota Orchestra, and played the National Anthem for a Twins game with her sister.

Watch her talking in this video.