Mattress Firm Student of the Week: Lewistown’s Morgan Pierce

It’s been Morgan Pierce’s dream to compete in the Miss USA Pageant since she was a little girl. “I grew up watching the Miss USA pageant, and, I told my mom one day that when I turn 14, I’ll be old enough to go into the teen division in Montana, and I said that’s what I wanted to do,” said Morgan. Being in the spotlight isn’t something new for the Fergus High sophomore. In fact being on the stage at the Miss Montana Teen USA pageant wasn’t new for her either. “It was really nerve-wracking to be standing in top 2 again because I was First Runner-Up the year before,” said Morgan. “I was nervous that I’d be First Runner-Up again, but I wasn’t, and so it was super exciting and I’m just so proud of everybody, because it’s really hard to put yourself out there. It was really actually ended up being nice to win First Runner-Up because it gave me a year to grow and mature more as a person.” Before the show, Morgan put in countless hours of training, which included working out, practicing her cat walk and prepping for interviews, all on top of balancing school and dance, which she said helped her in the competition. “I’ve been dancing since I was five. It’s such a passion of mine and it always keeps me happy and positive,” she said. “It also really helped with my stage presence because I grew up on a stage.” But it hasn’t just helped her. Through dance, she’s discovered another passion – children, and now she uses her skills on the dance floor to help others shine on the stage. “I love kids. They are so much fun, and I love anything that has to do with kids. I help around my studio teaching little girl dance classes, and I just love working with them. They bring so much joy.” When she’s not sharing her dance moves or strutting her stuff on stage, Morgan is also helping older girls in her community. “I’m working on creating a girl talk chapter in Lewistown. It’ll be the very first one in my town, and it’s just helping girls empower each other and respect each other and not just girls. It’s making sure everyone knows they’re important.” So what’s next for Miss Montana Teen USA? She’ll hit the road and travel to various events to represent the Treasure State, all while practicing for the Miss Teen USA pageant coming up next spring. And while she’s the one wearing crown, Morgan wants to share the wealth with everyone around her. “I hope to be a role model by just making sure that they know that you can always be true to yourself, and if you’re confident, you can do anything,” she said. The 2020 Miss Teen USA Pageant will be the 38th annual. 51 girls from across the country will compete for the crown, which will be passed on by last year’s winner, Kaliegh Garris from Connecticut.