The new Miss Teen Bermuda Islands 2008, Alyssa Rose, 15 of Smith's, was crowned on Sunday night.

Winning three titles — Miss Congeniality, Miss Photogenic and Best Personal Style — and also placing First Runner Up for Miss Talent, Alyssa's ultimate overall title was well deserved.

Aylssa said of her win: "I still can't believe it. I woke up this morning wondering if I had been dreaming."

Her talent was dance and she performed Tap, Jazz, Modern and Hip Hop.

Coming in second place was Diamond-Lynn Hill of Warwick, followed by Sierra Reid of Sandys South, who also won Miss Super Model, and Dalisa Johnston of Paget, who won Miss Sweet Charity and came in third.

"Competing for Miss Teen was hard work. It's not easy being a lady all the time," said the new teen queen.

The S3 Bermuda High School student attributed her win to her being prepared. "You have to present yourself well. At the beginning (of the eight-week process), we were given folders with all our instructions on what was to come.

"I got started on it right away which, I feel, gave me an edge. I practised a lot and did what I had to do."

Of the whole experience, she said: "The girls were amazing and the whole experience was amazing!"

Alyssa said that during the competition she felt confident but didn't want to get her hopes up too high and to be let down.

"I kept a level head but I knew I was going to do well," she said. "Everyone was really good and the competition was really tight."

When asked who she felt was her toughest competition, Alyssa said: "At the beginning of the eight-week process, there were some who came in stronger than others but, by the end, everyone had done really really well."

Event organiser and producer Terry Smith also said it was a hotly fought competition but that Alyssa had stayed very focused.

"They all looked fabulous and this competition could very well be compared with the Miss Universe competition as there were many similarities," he said.

Alyssa, whose prizes total almost $10,000, will be now preparing for the Digicel Haynes Smith Miss Caribbean Talented Teen Paget in St. Kitts at the end of this year.

Mr. Smith said: "Last year was our first time competing in this pageant and our former Miss Teen, Alexa Lightborne, placed runner up.

"This year we are confident we will win the title because we now know what to expect."

Alyssa's next order of appearance is a photo shoot with sponsors Gibbon's Company where she will be modelling their fall fashions.

Alyssa was asked if she had any message for the young people of Bermuda in light of the recent rise in youth and gang violence, she said: "We as young people need to surround ourselves with people who care about us and who we can trust and stay away from events that are not security based.

"We all need to choose wisely the places where we want to go."