A Gainesville teen in our area has stepped out ofFlorida Sunshine and into the national spotlight.

17 year old Samantha Head has many crowning achievements other than her interpretative dancing skills...
The Gainesville teenager recently was crowned America's National Teenager 2012.
Along with the tiara sash and scepter, Samantha won a 7-thousand dollar scholarship from the pageant that she will use towards her pursuit of an environmental engineering degree at the University of Florida.
Samantha says winning the first pageant that she competed in was a surprise but not the most difficult thing she's had to deal with in her life.

"I started crying my eyes out, because i can't believe it. because first of all it was my first pageant but it's also been for years in the making for me since i was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis."

But arthritis hasn't stopped samantha from keeping active in volunteering with organizations like the Boy's and Girl's Club and the Ronald McDonald house.
Samantha will go on to represent the u-s-a at the International National Teenager Pageant in Spring 2012.
Keep up to date with America's National Teenager on Samantha's facebook-page..