Meet our 2025 Panelists

Get to know a little bit about our esteemed panel that has been tasked with selecting our next Miss Lehi's Teen 2025! We are so grateful to each of them for giving their time and talents to our organization. Take a look below at their impressive qualifications!

Kjirsta Yardley was born in American Fork where she lived until she was 15. Her family then moved to Orem, where she graduated from Mountain View High School. 

Kjirsta joined the workforce after high school, and while working, she was set up on a blind date where she met her husband of 23 years.  

Kjirsta and her family live in Milford, Utah, where they farm, ranch, and raise their four children. Kjirsta is busy running her kiddos around to different sports and activities, but loves watching them do the things they love and enjoy. 

Kjirsta has been part of her county 4-H program, been involved with the PTA, and she is in her second year as the Miss Beaver County Director. Kjirsta loves to travel, loves the sunshine, and loves listening to a good book.

Haleigh Emerson grew up in Roy, Utah, and was crowned Miss Roy in 2009. She later co-directed the Miss Roy Competition with her mother, Janet Van Eerden, for 13 years. Haleigh has a background in cheerleading and piano, having studied piano under Dr. Yu-Jane Yang at Weber State University and serving as captain of the Roy High cheerleading team.

Haleigh was accepted into the University of Utah School of Medicine, where she earned her medical doctorate in 2017. Today, she works as a Family Medicine Physician at Tanner Clinic in her hometown of Roy, Utah. She credits the interview skills she developed through the Miss America program with helping her secure positions at her top-choice medical school and residency.

Haleigh lives in Ogden, Utah, with her high school sweetheart and husband of 14 years, Brock Emerson, and their three children: Ethan, Emileigh, and Aleigh. 

Nikki Peterson is a former Mrs. Wisconsin where she won swimsuit and on-stage question and went on to compete at the National Mrs. United States pageant in Las Vegas.  She competed at Miss Utah two times as Miss American Fork and as Miss Utah County.  She loves the Miss America program and enjoys staying involved through judging.  

Nikki graduated magna cum laude from BYU with a BS in Health Education and minors in Spanish teaching and Business.  While at BYU, she danced with the BYU Ballroom and Folk Dance teams and sang with the Mormon Youth Choir.  She is currently a graduate student in the MPH program at BYU and will graduate with her master's degree in June 2025.  She is a classically trained pianist and has taught piano lessons for over 18 years, and is a former aerobics and junior high teacher as well. 

Nikki is married to Dr. Michael Peterson, a dermatologist in Springville, and together they have 5 great children.  She loves to travel and has visited over 45 different countries, loves to wakesurf, sing karaoke, read good books, and spend time with her family.

Sara Harward was born and raised in Springville, Utah. She currently lives in Mapleton with her husband, Jake, and their 4 children. They are the owners of Harward Farms Sweet Corn and Jaker’s Jack-O-Lanterns. They have 25 roadside stands along the Wasatch Front from Salt Lake to Nephi. Sara runs a farm camp for kids the first two weeks in June, called Little Hands Farm Camp. She hopes to help children find the joy in farming and ranching and to create a new generation of farmers and ranchers. 

She is also heavily involved in helping her husband manage the roadside stands and Jaker’s. Sara has been involved with the Miss America Organization since 2002. She has worked with the Miss Springville/Mapleton competition helping with scholarships, publicity and is currently the judges chair. Sara started judging in 2018 and loves helping young women strive to be their best self and gain scholarships or their schooling.

Hannah Tanne was born in Hubei, China, and spent the first 10 months of her life in an orphanage until her loving/adoptive parents came to get her and brought her to the United States.

Hannah grew up in Syracuse, Utah, and was able to grow and develop her personality and interests. She has always had a love for musical theater and dance. She was a member of her high school's premier dance company and has performed in many musicals throughout the community. Hannah was also a part of her high school's varsity track team, competing in the high jump. She is now an avid runner and participates in 5k’s and loves spending time outdoors.

Hannah currently works as a professional model and has been working in the fashion/commercial industry for the last seven years.

The Miss Lehi's Teen 2025 Competition will take place on Saturday, June 7th at Skyridge High School. The winner will serve Lehi City for one full year and compete at the state competition in May of 2026. The winner will also be awarded a $1200 scholarship.

Other cash prizes and scholarships will also be awarded on stage at the competition.

Tickets for the competition can be purchased online at https://misslehiteen.wixsite.com/mysite.