Ana Maria Lawson is a 16-year-old Junior at Westminster High School. While in high school, she has maintained honor role status and strives to do her best successfully balancing her busy lifestyle as Miss Maryland Teen USA and as a professional print and runway model. Ana Maria is currently learning her third language French; English is her 2nd language and Spanish is her native language. Ana Maria has also been involved with cheerleading for the Westminster Blue Jays for three years as both a flyer and base. Additionally, she continues to study dance and enjoys Hip Hop, Jazz and Lyrical dance at a local studio.

Ana Maria has a passion for volunteering and involvement within the community. She has worked at her former elementary and middle school tutoring younger children who are challenged by their regular scholastic programs. She has also volunteered at the local Goodwill Center and regularly helps keep our state roads clean through the Adopt-A-Road program sponsored by the Maryland State Highway Administration. A year ago, Ana Maria was able to share her expertise in modeling and teach “Runway Walking for Professional Women,” to benefit a non-profit organizations annual fashion show fundraiser in Carroll County that assists single working mothers.

Ana Maria loves to travel and visit new places. She is fortunate enough to have been able to travel from the top of the mountains in Columbia, South America to the top of the Empire State building in New York.

Three years ago, Ana Maria set her mind on pursuing a career in the modeling industry. After successfully completing her model training program at MG Models of Sykesville, she quickly became a well known name in the tri-state market. She has been a featured actress in two national television commercials and has appeared in several magazine publications as a cover model and a featured model, to include the November/December ‘07 edition of Girls Life Magazine. Additionally, she has participated in many professional photo shoots and fashion shows. Her biggest accomplishments on the runway are New York’s Brooklyn Fashion Week, D.C. Fashion Week and coming up in February 2008, she will strut down the catwalk modeling some of the worlds most prestigious fashions designed by industry leaders of New York’s Fashion Week.

Ana Maria is known to many people as a girl who always finds the good in everything she sees and does. With her positive attitude and beautiful smile she makes a wonderful friend and very caring and compassionate human being. She considers herself to be very blessed with a supportive family that is always close to her heart.

As the representative for the great state of Maryland in the 2008 Miss Teen USA pageant, Ana Maria is certainly very grateful and excited to share and be apart of this wonderful opportunity. The sky is the limit and for sure, Ana Maria will continue to reach for the stars while keeping her feet planted on the ground. Her motto is, “If you can dream it, you CAN do it!”