Who she is: A pageant veteran since early childhood, the 16-year-old Baylor junior is the daughter of Randy and Pam Breedwell, Athens.

What is Chattanooga Outstanding Teen? “It’s like Miss Tennessee for teens. I’m involved in it to prepare for Miss Tennessee one day.”

What she enjoys about pageantry: “I like the interview; I think that’s my favorite part. I like to talk to the judges. I also like the on-stage competition. I like putting on a show and entertaining people. And these things teach you skills, like how to interview for a job, how to get up in front of people and speak, and how to have confidence in yourself.”

Are pageants often perceived as little more than evening gown and swimsuit contests? “That’s a given. They do get a bad rap, but it’s because a lot of people don’t know what it’s really all about, and that results in a lot of negative thinking. It’s also a matter of being in it for the right reasons, not just because you want to beat all the other girls. It is a competition, and it’s fun to win, but that’s not why I’m in it.”

On performing: She’s been singing since age four, preferring country and blues, even appearing in revues for Opryland Productions. “I was in shows for three Christmas seasons at the Governor’s Palace in Pigeon Forge starting when I was 10, I think. I loved it. I also worked at Dollywood in the Paradise Road show. They don’t do it any more, but it was the story of Dolly Parton’s life. I played Dolly as a child and got to sing some of the songs she wrote as a child. I had the time of my life.”

As Chattanooga’s Outstanding Teen: She’s participated in the local MDA telethon and performed at local Miss Tennessee preliminaries and other pageants. Her platform is Leaders Are Achievers, aimed at encouraging teens to develop leadership skills. “That’s important for whatever you’re going to do in life.”

At Baylor: She’s involved in Leadership Baylor, the Youth Education and Support (YES) network, the peer support network, Red Circle, and the chess club and serves as a prefect in her dorm. Through the school’s community service initiatives, she tutors Spanish-speaking students enrolled in after-school programs at St. Andrews Church. She names Spanish as her favorite subject. “I’m in Spanish 3. It’s probably the most fun class. When I went to Cancun, it was fun being able to talk to people in their own language.”

On chess: “My dad taught me to play. We were on a cruise, and there was a set in the game room. My roommate at Baylor plays, and we play all the time. I’m not really good at it, and I hardly ever win, but I love it.”

What she’d like to be: A broadcast journalist. “I’m not completely decided, but I’d like to work for CNN. That’s really hard to do, but you never know what can happen.”

Her favorite book: The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks. She liked the movie, although “it gets kind of boring in places. The book holds your attention better.”

For fun: “Skating, bowling, hanging out with my friends, getting dressed up and going downtown…just being a teenager.”

How she describes herself: “Outgoing, maybe even a little crazy. I love trying new things. I’m happy. I love life.”

Brooke Breedwell Style: “I like getting dressed up. I just went shopping, and I can’t wait to go out and wear all my new clothes.”

Her favorite possession: “I don’t really know…maybe my new red shoes. I think they describe me, kind of prissy and sassy. I have a lot of shoes, too many to talk about.”

The best advice she was ever given: “My kindergarten through eighth grade principal said every day over the intercom, ‘Remember to do your best, try your hardest, and good things will happen to you.’ I’d heard that every day since kindergarten, and it stuck in my mind and became part of me. He’s right. It’s a great motto.”