She is the 2011 Miss St. Clair Area’s Outstanding Teen, and now Cassidy Jacks is preparing to compete at the state pageant.

The Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen will be selected in a weekend contest March 4-6 at Sylacauga High School.

“I feel very privileged to be able to represent St. Clair County,” said Jacks, a junior at Springville High School. “I have worked so hard, and I’m putting a lot of effort into this. I want this more than anything, but more importantly, I want to make a difference.”

What Jacks wants to make a difference in is childhood obesity. Her platform is “Get Out, Get Fit.”

“Every girl in the Teen and Miss system has a platform,” Jacks said. “I chose getting fit because it is something I am very passionate about. I want every kid to understand the importance of physical activity, whether it is playing soccer or doing push-ups. I’m not saying they have to go sign up at a gym or something.”

Jacks won the Miss St. Clair Area’s Outstanding Teen Aug. 7, 2010. It was her third preliminary while attempting to advance to the state pageant. After coming up short in Miss Leeds Area, Jacks competed in Miss Jefferson County and finished second runner-up.

She then took top honors at the Miss St. Clair Area’s Outstanding Teen.

“It’s a great learning experience for me,” Jacks said. “I’m making so many new friends. The girls participating at the state pageant are nice and we have formed a sisterhood. It’s helped me learn a lot — things like public speaking and life skills I will keep with me forever.”

The state pageant has 41 teenage contestants, the most ever.

Jacks is the 16-year-old daughter of John and Kristi Jacks of Springville.

“We are incredibly proud of Cassidy and all of her achievements so far,” said her mom Kristi Jacks. “The Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen scholarship pageant is a wonderful program for all girls to get involved in, and we are honored that Cassidy is a part of it. She has been working hard, and we are very excited to watch her compete at the state pageant in March. We know it will be an experience that will last her a lifetime.”

Jacks said she could not do this without the support of her parents.

“My parents are awesome,” Jacks said. “They help me with practice, and I appreciate everything they do for me.”

Jacks said she competed in her first pageant when she was in seventh grade. “We had moved to Springville, and two months later, I won my very first pageant. It was the Queen of Hearts Pageant at Springville Middle School. I love pageants. They are a lot of fun.”

At the state pageant, Jacks will compete in fitness, talent, evening gown, interview and on-stage question.

For her talent, Jacks will sing “What I Did For Love” from the Broadway play, “A Chorus Line.” But it’s her platform that gets Jacks motivated.

“I just want to show kids they do not need to be sitting in front of a television all the time,” Jacks said. “On average, kids spend 30 hours per week watching television, playing video games or texting. The obesity rate is at an epidemic right now. Getting outside exercising will help that, I believe. I want them to know fitness can be fun.”

If Jacks wins the state pageant, she automatically wins a full scholarship to Alabama, Auburn or Troy — her choice if she wins.

This summer, she plans on competing in preliminaries for the Miss Alabama Pageant.

Jacks said being in this pageant has given her numerous opportunities for community service.

“I’ve helped with the Children’s Hospital, I’ve wrapped Christmas gifts for children who would otherwise not have any gifts,” Jacks said. “I also helped out with the Children’s Miracle Network, Save-A-Life Foundation among other places. It just gives us an opportunity to help our state.”

Jacks is practicing every day, several hours a day and says she concentrates more on interview and her talent.

Contact Gary Hanner at ghanner@thestclairtimes.com.