A local student has been selected to represent Plant City at the Miss Florida Teen USA competition in July.
Kennedie Clinton is a freshman at Durant High School and is relatively new to the pageant scene. Her first pageant was this spring in the Plant City Strawberry Festival Junior Royalty Pageant, where she placed first runner-up. The experience sparked a passion in Clinton and she decided to apply for the Miss Florida Teen USA, which is part of the Miss Universe Organization. She said it was a “shot in the dark” and was shocked when she found out she was selected to represent the community in the upcoming competition.
“I was just so surprised,” Clinton said. “I’ve been told that there are a lot of girls applying and so to be selected, well, that’s just a big honor. And it really means so much to me that I get to represent Plant City. I know there are a lot of people moving to Plant City and this is the life everyone is wanting. This is the perfect community to live in and grow up in, and I’d like to be able to represent my community and show what we have to offer in this pageant. I really love that small-town feel that we have here. Everyone knows everyone and you always have someone close by that you love that you can call up and meet up with.”
Her selection was based on her academic success as well as her professional interests, involvement in the community, “passion for the pursuit of excellence and her interest in empowering other young women to follow in her footsteps.” Clinton is heavily involved in her school’s Varsity Color Guard team and is no stranger to the stage. She has several years of musical theater, voice and dance training from the Patel Conservatory, which is a division of Tampa’s Straz Center, and quickly fell in love with performing.
Clinton said she never really thought about getting involved in pageants until she became immersed in the Plant City community and her friends told her about the scholarship opportunities available through the variety of competitions. Her schooling has long been a main focus of hers and she said she hopes to one day work for the FBI or perhaps join a branch of the military.
“I want to go to college and double major in art and animation and homeland security or law,” Clinton said. “I want to break that norm where people think that pageant girls are just interested in certain types of careers and degrees. We are all so different and I hope that I can help kind of shine a spotlight on the fact that a lot of us want to go into criminal justice or law or the military. I’m very big on women in the workforce and I hope that I will be able to be an influence to others one day by showing that women can do whatever they put their minds to.”
She admitted her passions are diverse — she’s as quick to launch into an analysis of the animation industry as she is to delve into detailed accounts of the technology used to make breathable air on Mars — but said she believes that helps her relate to a variety of people. Her interests have been noticed by her educators and Clinton was nominated to attend The National Youth Leadership Forum: National Security, Diplomacy, Intelligence & Defense this summer in Washington, D.C.
Clinton will celebrate her 15th birthday while at the pageant in July and she said she couldn’t think of a better way to ring in the big year. She called the experience “a thrill” and said she feels like her experience with Junior Royalty really helped her grow as a person and honed her public speaking skills. She’s planning to focus on bringing more body positivity for all through her platform at the pageant, saying she knows it’s an issue everyone struggles with.
Now that she’s been selected, the work is just beginning. Clinton needs sponsorships and donations to help cover all the costs associated with participating. There are several levels of sponsorships available as well as donation opportunities that don’t align with a set sponsorship price. You can choose to sponsor Clinton at missfloridausa.com/sponsor and can select amounts of $50, $100, $395, $500, $1,500 or $1,895 on the website. Sponsors are listed on the Delegate Page in the program book and are tax deductible. You can also donate via a GoFundMe Page. For more information, contact Clinton’s mother, Michelle Engle, at kennedieclinton@gmail.com.
“I’m really excited about this opportunity,” Clinton said. “Plant City means a lot to me and I want to be able to help put this community in the spotlight during this pageant. I remember I almost started crying when I received the email that was basically an invitation to compete in the pageant. This is something I don’t take for granted and I’m looking forward to being able to be a part of this experience.”