When Nakita Kohan left for Toronto less than two weeks ago, she was representing her city as Miss Teen Edmonton.

After competing against 39 other young women, Kohan will return as Miss Teen Canada International with a $10,000 scholarship.

"I was just so happy and kind of overwhelmed," The fifteen-year-old said of winning the pageant. "It was like a feeling of recognition, that some one was recognizing all the hard work I put into the title."

The teen is careful to mention the competition is not based on factors that are commonly part of pageants.

"They look at your personality and attitude, and how you interact with others," Kohan said in phone interview from Toronto. "It's really judged on what type of person you are."

Kohan entered the competition on a platform of encouraging more education on learning disabilities.

She was diagnosed with a severe form of dyslexia.

A similar theme continues through one of the charities she supports, the Learning Disability Association of Canada.

She credits education and tools she's learned with helping her overcome the learning disability at school and in her day-to-day life.

Kohan is on the cusp of some major milestones, she's about to start high school, and now she'll have to balance her school work with the duties that come with her new title.

"When you win, you become an ambassador for Canada and teens across the world."

It's a challenge she's looking forward to meeting head-on.