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Miss Florida Teen USA grows up, moves to Palm Beach County, lands new crown. What's next?
The woman who will be representing the Sunshine State in the Miss USA 2025 competition this fall and who now holds the title Miss Florida USA for the next year, is a recent transplant to Palm Beach County.
Lou Schiefflin, 24, grew up in Connecticut and Orlando, then spent some time in Miami, before moving to Palm Beach "on a whim" a year ago. And even before she edged out 70 other competitors to land the Miss Florida crown in May, her life seemed pretty busy.
She is a model and aspiring pilot who also works with a prominent Palm Beach luxury real estate agent.
Schiefflin is not new to the pageant circuit. The title marks her second on the Miss USA circuit, following her 2017 reign as Miss Florida Teen USA.
Schieffelin said her pageant experience this year, however, was very different from the first time she competed.
This time, her father, David, wasn't here to support her. He died just a month before the pageant got underway. The loss significantly influenced her outlook, she said.
"It was a lot about friendship and creating memories and working with all of these amazing nonprofits," she told the Daily News of her pageant experience. "This year, our organization we partnered with was Food for the Hungry. When I arrived on pageant weekend, I picked two little girls to sponsor. I think just the perspective on this year was very different for me after losing my dad."
Schieffelin hoped to do well at the pageant, but she said winning wasn't her main objective.
"I was just grateful to be there and be able to make my family proud, and that resulted in a victory," she said. "It was very unexpected and humbling."
Schieffelin is set to represent Florida at the Miss USA 2025 competition this fall, though a date and location have not been set. The Miss USA winner represents the United States at the Miss Universe competition, which will be held in November in Thailand.
In the meantime, Schieffelin will reign as Miss Florida USA for the next year. During that time, she will act as an ambassador for both Florida and the Miss USA organization, attending events and promoting civic involvement.
"This whole year is about representing Florida, no matter what happens at Miss USA," Schieffelin said. "That's kind of how I went into competing for Miss Florida. I'm excited."
Schieffelin said she has long prioritized community service, and she is eager to continue making a difference as Miss Florida USA.
"Getting out into the community, speaking with people, meeting with children — a lot of that is about giving back," she said. "I remember when I was younger, seeing a girl in a crown was such an exciting thing for me. I thought that was like a real-life princess. And so we want to marry that with giving back and community involvement and community enrichment, and I think Palm Beach is an amazing place for that because there are so many charity events, and it's such a hub for philanthropy."
Schieffelin, who has been modeling professionally for 16 years, came to Palm Beach and moved in with a friend. She joined Margit Brandt's real estate office team as a director of marketing and licensed executive assistant, a role she says she really enjoys.
"She's obviously been very successful on the island," Schieffelin said of Brandt, who is affiliated with Premier Estate Properties. "I feel very honored to even be on the team and been granted the support they've given me this year to pursue pageants alongside my responsibilities with them."
Schieffelin also is pursuing her private pilot's license, and she hopes to complete her training by the end of the year. Both of her grandfathers were involved in aviation, and she looks forward to following in their footsteps.
"One was a B-17 fighter pilot in World War II, and the other was an Army paratrooper," Schieffelin said. "Planes are kind of in my family, and I'm grateful to be able to continue the legacy on."
Though the remainder of her year will be filled with professional and pageant commitments, Schieffelin's focus remains on leading with purpose and honoring her late father.
"This year is really about leading with heart, making my dad proud and doing things that I know he would be excited for me to do, and just proud of me to do within the Florida community and with young people," she said. "I'm just trying to give them a role model."
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County woman to represent Florida at Miss USA 2025
