Miss Illinois Teen USA 2011 Paige Higgerson is a recent graduate of Trico Community High School where she was on the honor roll all four years of her high school career. She is currently attending John A. Logan Community College in Carterville, Illinois. She is working toward obtaining her Bachelors of Science degree in nursing, specializing in pediatrics. She plans to complete her degree at Barnes Jewish School of Nursing in Saint Louis, Missouri.

The statuesque 5′ 10″ beauty has used her poise and personality along with her runway skills to land several jobs modeling for some of the top designers in both the swimwear and fashion industries. She has modeled for Vera Wang, Beach Bunny swimwear, Bakers Shoes, Dillard’s and Macy’s, to name a few.

Aside from focusing on her education and career aspirations, community service is a fundamental part of Paige’s life. She is very active with organizations such as Special Olympics, Wiggle Your Toes, food and toy drives as well as the Adopt a Highway Program. She will use her reign to encourage others to realize the importance of giving back to their communities by volunteering their time to service organizations.

In her spare time, when she isn’t studying or volunteering, she loves to spend time outdoors with her family. Jet skiing, trail riding on four wheelers, and any activities that allow her to stay outdoors in beautiful Southern Illinois are where she and her family can be found in the summer.

Paige values the time she gets to spend with her family and is very proud of her heritage. She has ancestors from two Native American tribes, Cherokee on her grandfather’s side and Choctaw on her grandmother’s.

Sundays are special to Paige. She attends church with her family and then catches up on her favorite television shows, Say Yes to the Dress and Platinum Weddings. Anything having to do with fashion or interior design is also an interest of hers. She also looks forward to staying in touch with friends through Facebook.