Goodyear teen Peyton Stuewe won Arizona’s Miss Teen USA pageant as a West Valley representative last week.

She will go on to represent the state of Arizona in the national Miss Teen USA pageant. Stuewe said it was a humbling experience coming from Goodyear’s charm.

“Since Goodyear is such a small town, it is my honor to represent the West Valley at such a big event,” she said.

Stuewe’s said her rural sensibilities helped her stand out in the crowd, rather than an overarching strategy.

“Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything specific that I said that got the judges to choose me but I was just myself,” she said. “I spoke my truth and was my true self! “My strategy going in was just to have fun and to celebrate small victories instead of the overall title.”

Stuewe previously won a Miss Arizona title, and previously won Miss Junior High School America and National-American Jr. Teen. She said she’ll likely continue to compete after this.

“I haven’t really given it a good thought but there is a very high chance I will compete again for Miss Arizona USA,” she said.

A date and time have yet to be announced for the 41st Miss Teen USA pageant. But according to the current Miss Teen USA, the next pageant will be held in Reno.

The previous Miss Arizona Teen USA was MayaDenise Gaskin of Phoenix. She was crowned in Gilbert May 30, 2022.

The first Arizona teen to place at the national event was Jeri-Lynn Beatty who placed 12^th in 1990.

Arizona holds a record of 10 placements in the top 16 at Miss Teen USA. Last year’s Arizona champ MayaDenise Gaskin placed within the top 16 herself.