DEMOPOLIS &8212; With excitement and nervousness of her first time walking out on stage in a scholarship pageant, Demopolite Casey Williams will take to the stage this weekend in competing for the title of Miss Teen of Alabama 2007 State Pageant in Tuscaloosa.

Williams was accepted for the program after she applied through a letter she received at her school, then Demopolis Middle School.

She said she has enjoyed the experience thus far and looks forward to this weekend&8217;s event.

The pageant will be held Friday through Sunday in Tuscaloosa. The winner of the pageant competition will receive a $1,000 cash scholarship and a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond. In addition, her high school will receive $250 from the Miss Teen of America Scholarship and Recognition Program. The new state titleholder will also be eligible to compete for the National Title of Miss Teen of America and vie for additional scholarships, awards and prizes.

Each state candidate will be scored in six judging categories, which are: scholastic record, achievement and service to school and community, personal development of talents and skills, general awareness written test, personality projection in formal wear and interview.

National Pageant Founder, Warren Alexander, said, &8220;This pageant truly represents the young women of the Twenty-First Century. Sixty percent of the judging involves written resumes and testing, with the strongest single category being the interview with the judges.&8221;

Williams has been practicing her interview skills in preparation for that segment of the program.

Williams said participating in the pageant was made possible for her by the community&8217;s support.

Williams, who will soon be 14-years-old, is the daughter of Tim and Cindy Williams of Demopolis. She is will be a freshman at Demopolis High School next month. She is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Demopolis, where she is active in the youth program. She enjoys playing the piano and is a member of her school band. She is a cadet in Girl Scout Troop 331 of Demopolis. She finished Demopolis Middle School as an honor student, last year. She also participated in &8220;Snow White&8221; at Demopolis Middle School where she played Princess Rose.

The state pageant Finals will be held at 3:30 p.m.

on Sunday in Sellers Auditorium on the University of Alabama campus. The event is open to the general public, and tickets will be available for purchase at the door. Special guests for the event will include the current reigning Miss Teen of Alabama, Roxanna Sabghi, of Huntsville.