Miss Florida Teen USA Contestant Died in Crash Just 3 Minutes from Home, Mom Says (Exclusive)

• Kadance Fredericksen, 18, died in a head-on crash in Florida on Monday, Feb. 17
• The Miss Okaloosa County Teen representative dreamed of becoming a veterinarian and had her own charity
• Mom Lisa Fredericksen describes the teen as the “most kindhearted” person who “only wanted everybody to be happy"

Kadance Fredericksen, an 18-year-old pageant contestant, had big plans for the future, according to her mom. Sadly, her life was cut short when she died in a car crash in Florida earlier this week.

“She had the whole world right there in her hands, and she was ready to take it on,” Lisa Fredericksen, 48, tells PEOPLE.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, which did not identify the teen by name, Kadance was driving in Santa Rosa County on Monday, Feb. 17, when “for reasons unknown” her car crossed the center line and crashed head-on into a tractor-trailer. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

"She was literally three minutes from home," Lisa says, noting that it's still unclear what caused Kadance to veer in front of the semi.

“I have no idea what happened,” adds Lisa, who says that she wasn't home at the time, but her oldest daughter, who lives next door, learned about the crash from police.

An investigation remains ongoing.

Kadance, who experienced abuse in her early childhood, was formally adopted by Lisa in 2017 — and the decision to enter the pageant world came "after years of therapy," according to the mom.

“She came home one day and she said, ‘Mama, can I do a beauty pageant?' " And I said, ‘Well, yeah, but if you do a beauty pageant, you have to talk in front of people,’ because she still didn't talk a whole lot," Lisa adds.

"And she did it. She bought the ugliest dress she could find because she just wanted to be like a princess. She didn't win a thing," continues Lisa. "But she was hooked."

Her world opened up again after getting involved with another service that had a community service component.

According to Lisa, Kadance began volunteering with the Ronald McDonald House, completing thousands of hours and hosting an annual lemonade stand — and since 2017, she's raised over $25,000 for the charity.

Eventually, she founded her own organization Kada’s Promise, which donates teddy bears and blankets to children in foster care, homeless shelters, abuse shelters and hospitals, according to the charity's website.

Kadance, who competed for the Miss Florida Teen USA crown and also held the Miss Okaloosa County Teen title, was remembered by her Miss Florida and Teen Florida USA Family.

"Our pageant community has lost a beautiful soul — one who was a true light in this world. She was ambitious, driven, kind, and a leader among her pageant sisters," they said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and all who are mourning this devastating loss. May we honor her memory by carrying forward the light she so effortlessly shared with the world and our Florida pageant community."

Lisa, who is also a parent to a 13-year-old son, tells PEOPLE that Kadance was “generous” and the “most kindhearted” person who “only wanted everybody to be happy.”

As she looked towards the future beyond high school, Lisa says the teen had been accepted to nine colleges and wanted to become a veterinarian. In fact, just a day before the deadly crash, Kadance interviewed for the presidential scholarship — a full-ride scholarship at Mississippi State University — and was awarded it.

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Now the family is hoping to continue the teen's legacy through Kada’s Promise, asking people to bring teddy bears for the Saturday, Feb. 22, funeral and to donate on the charity’s website or a GoFundMe that has been launched in the wake of death.

"We want the whole world to know who Kadance is," Lisa adds. "We want to continue touching as many lives as we can, even though she's not here."