A 19-year-old Ayrshire entrepreneur has landed a coveted spot as a finalist in the Miss Great Britain pageant.
Lucia Moffat from Kilmarnock is set to take part in the Glasgow heat next weekend.
The talented youngster is the proud owner of After Glow, a beauty salon based on College Wynd in her hometown.
Following the tragic loss of her beloved dad William, Lucia left St Joseph's Academy at 15 to focus on her mental health and grieve for her dad. Then after years of hard work opened her salon in April.
Lucia spoke about her determination and her hopes for the upcoming competition.
She said: "Miss Great Britain messaged me on Instagram and asked me if I would be interested. I've never taken part in something like this before and I was so overwhelmed to become a finalist.
"Miss Great Britain is not just a pageant but it's about being a good role model too. I've worked hard to get my salon and I work every day to grow my business. I hope other people will be able to see they can achieve their goals at a young age too.
"My dad died when I was 15 and it was really horrible. It took a lot to come back from that and I just finished school because my head wasn't in it at that time.
"A lot of young people right now are struggling with mental health and dealing with loss and I hope to be a role model to them and show that by working hard and taking it a day at a time you can achieve your dreams."
Lucia is getting ready to wow the judges at next week's massive event at the GO Glasgow Hotel.
"Everyone was a bit shocked when I told them about going to the final because I've never done anything like this before but everyone is really proud of me - especially my mum," Added Lucia.
"At the Glasgow event, I'll be taking part in an evening wear round, beach body round and I'll also be interviewed by a panel of judges too.
"I'm so excited to take part and I hope I can go on to the national round. If I won, I think I'd cry. It would be a lovely thing to add to my accomplishments and be a real confidence boost for me."
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