Junior Miss Considers Name Change

America's Junior Miss program is giving itself a makeover, and it may result in a new name for the scholarship program.

In a letter to those closest to the organization, Executive Director Becky Jo Peterson acknowledged changing the name will cause "discomfort and concern" for some loyal supporters, but Peterson insists the re-branding effort is necessary for the organization to attract national sponsors.

"There are a lot of people who don't know what Junior Miss is about," Peterson told News Five. "They have a misconception of what we are. They lump us in with beauty pageants. As much as we can say we're not one, we're not one, that's the perception and we have to do what we can to try to change that."

This isn't the first time America's Junior Miss has tried a name change. In the late 1980's, the group briefly called itself America's Young Woman of the Year, but changed back to Junior Miss in 1993.

"With all due respect to those involved, they went about it all wrong," said Peterson, who insists this time the organization's re-branding effort will be successful. Earlier this year, the organization hired a Los Angeles consulting firm, Marshall Strategy, to come up with a plan. Peterson says the firm is being paid $100,000, but the money was raised separate from their scholarship efforts.

The organization hopes to pick its new name this go round by the first of next year and unveil all of their changes at the America's Junior Miss national finals in June.