The most exciting week of 18-year-old, Allison Kusenberger’s, life started off big when she was crowned Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2009, in Bentonville, Arkansas on Sunday, November 30, 2008. The next day started at 5:30 A.M. when she made her first official appearance on the KNWA morning news show. Allison made several more appearances that day before returning to her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas.

The week ended perfectly as Allison had the privilege to be a cheerleader on the sidelines as her high school won the 2008 5A State Football Championship. She is a senior at Pulaski Academy where she is an honor student, has a 4.0+ GPA, a member of National Honor Society, Beta Club, and Mu Alpha Theta, as well as being an AP Scholar. After Graduation Allison will attend college to pursue a degree in Business/Marketing. She plans to use her degree to start her own skincare line.

Volunteering for the American Heart Association has been a passion for Allison since her sophomore year when she became involved in the AHA Sweetheart program. In February, Allison helped recruit local businesses to participate in the Go Red for Women campaign national wear red day, on February 6th. Over 300 people in Little Rock wore red and contributed over $1600 due to her efforts to bring awareness to heart disease in women.

Allison has been a lifeguard for the past three summers, and she also had the opportunity to attend a Global Business and Entrepreneurship course in Manhattan, NY. In her free time Allison enjoys traveling, shopping, exercising, and spending time with family and friends. She is the daughter of Don and Ann Kusenberger, and has an older brother, Chris who attends SMU in Dallas.

When she is not studying, cheerleading or volunteering Allison has had the opportunity to do some work in the film/modeling industry. She has appeared in a Stamp Out Smoking commercial, did print work for Leisure Arts, modeled in a video for Dillard’s, and did various photo shoots for The Arkansas Parks and Tourism Department. She has also appeared in Supermodel Magazine. She plans to continue to pursue modeling/print work in the advertising industry.

Allison finds herself singing the praises of Arkansas and is honored to be Miss Arkansas Teen USA. Did you know that Arkansas is the only state in the United States that has an active diamond mine and that Alma, Arkansas is the spinach capital of the world? Allison has done personal appearances at the Hope Ball, where she met project runways, Korto Momolu, visited a local hospital to promote heart health awareness, and appeared at the American Heart Association unveiling of Arkansas’s survivor gallery. She will continue to make appearances throughout the year including two Go Red for Women luncheons this spring, the Heart Walk, and many others.

Allison’s favorite quote is, “You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.” She believes that it is important to stay young at heart, especially in today’s fast paced society. Don’t stress over the small things you can’t change, because life it too short so cherish every moment.