Latest news with #MissFlorida
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
Miss Florida Contestant Kadance Fredericksen Died in a Car Crash ‘3 Minutes From Home,' Her Mom Says
Kadance Fredericksen, a Miss Florida Teen USA contestant, died in a car crash just 'three minutes from home,' says her mother, Lisa Fredericksen. Lisa, 48, spoke with People for a story published on Wednesday, February 19, two days after Kadance's death at the age of 18. The teen was driving in Santa Rosa County on Monday, February 17, when her car went over the center line and crashed head-on into a tractor-trailer. Kadance was pronounced dead at the scene. "She was literally three minutes from home," Lisa told the outlet, adding, 'I have no idea what happened.' Neither did the Florida Highway Patrol when they filed their report on Monday's crash, stating that Kadance's vehicle had crossed into the opposite lane 'for reasons unknown.' An investigation into the tragedy continues. Celebrity Deaths of 2025: Aubrey Plaza's Husband Jeff Baena and More Stars We've Lost This Year Lisa adopted Kadance seven years ago; her daughter had been abused earlier in her childhood. In 2024, Kadance was a finalist for the Miss Florida Teen USA title and was also crowned Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA. '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 said in her People interview, adding, "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. But she was hooked." Kadance had raised more than $25,000 for the Ronald McDonald House since volunteering at the charity starting in 2017. That year, she founded Kada's Promise, which provides teddy bears and blankets to kids in foster care, homeless shelters, abuse shelters and hospitals. Remembering Ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince: Career Beginnings, Adoption Story Before Tragic Death 'During many dark times in my early childhood, the only thing that I could call my own or that made me feel safe was a single teddy bear that I received as a gift,' Kadance explained in a message on the organization's website. 'I carried him with me from house to house, couch to couch and clutched him tightly in the scariest times. It is from these memories that Kada's Promise was born.' According to Lisa, Kadance was the 'most kindhearted' person and 'only wanted everybody to be happy.' Her goal was to become a veterinarian. The day before she died, she had been awarded a full-ride scholarship at Mississippi State University, one of nine colleges that had accepted her as a student. "Our pageant community has lost a beautiful soul — one who was a true light in this world,' Kadance's Miss Florida and Teen Florida USA Family said in a statement Tuesday. 'She was ambitious, driven, kind, and a leader among her pageant sisters," they continued. "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."
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Yahoo
Miss Teen USA contestant who overcame childhood homelessness killed in horrific Florida crash
An 18-year-old Miss Teen USA pageant queen who survived childhood homelessness and an abusive mother was killed in a car crash, according to reports. Kadance Fredericksen, a student at Baker School in Okaloosa County, died after the car she was driving collided head-on with a tractor-trailer on a highway around 1.30 p.m. Monday, WKRG reported. The other driver suffered minor injuries, the outlet reported. In 2024, she was given the title of Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA. She had just received acceptances to nine colleges and planned on becoming a veterinarian, her family told WKRG. Miss Florida and Teen Florida USA Family released a statement in the wake of the tragedy: '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.' The statement continued: '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. Forever our queen.' 'Kadance was a beacon of light in our community, known for her compassion, tireless advocacy for children in need, and unwavering dedication to making a difference,' Baker School Principal Michael Martello told WEAR-TV a statement, referring to her advocacy work. She founded Kada's Promise in 2017, which provides teddy bears and blankets to children in foster care, homeless shelters, abuse shelters and hospitals. Her inspiration for the program stemmed from her firsthand experience. During her childhood, Fredericksen's mother was abusive and she struggled with hunger and homelessness while 'being groomed by her biological mother's husband,' a statement on the Kada's Promise website reads. 'During many dark times in my early childhood, the only thing that I could call my own or that made me feel safe was a single teddy bear that I received as a gift,' she said. Her biological father and stepmother gained custody at some point and in 2017 her stepmother formally adopted her. She wrote: 'I am so blessed that my pain was temporary and now I get to use my story to temporarily take someone else's pain away."
The Independent
19-02-2025
- The Independent
Miss Teen USA contestant who overcame childhood homelessness killed in horrific Florida crash
An 18-year-old Miss Teen USA pageant queen who survived childhood homelessness and an abusive mother was killed in a car crash, according to reports. Kadance Fredericksen, a student at Baker School in Okaloosa County, died after the car she was driving collided head-on with a tractor-trailer on a highway around 1.30 p.m. Monday, WKRG reported. The other driver suffered minor injuries, the outlet reported. In 2024, she was given the title of Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA. She had just received acceptances to nine colleges and planned on becoming a veterinarian, her family told WKRG. Miss Florida and Teen Florida USA Family released a statement in the wake of the tragedy: '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.' The statement continued: '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. Forever our queen.' 'Kadance was a beacon of light in our community, known for her compassion, tireless advocacy for children in need, and unwavering dedication to making a difference,' Baker School Principal Michael Martello told WEAR-TV a statement, referring to her advocacy work. She founded Kada's Promise in 2017, which provides teddy bears and blankets to children in foster care, homeless shelters, abuse shelters and hospitals. Her inspiration for the program stemmed from her firsthand experience. During her childhood, Fredericksen's mother was abusive and she struggled with hunger and homelessness while 'being groomed by her biological mother's husband,' a statement on the Kada's Promise website reads. 'During many dark times in my early childhood, the only thing that I could call my own or that made me feel safe was a single teddy bear that I received as a gift,' she said. Her biological father and stepmother gained custody at some point and in 2017 her stepmother formally adopted her.
