KERINGTON WARE IS OUR ^^^ Kerington Ware is a bright, ambitious 15-year-old from Midlothian, Texas. A seasoned pageant competitor, Kerington began her journey in pageantry at just 8 months old and has since competed all across the United States. With over 14 years of experience, she brings grace, confidence, and a strong sense of purpose to every stage she steps onto. Currently a sophomore in high school, Kerington is not only a dedicated honors student but also a competitive volleyball player for her club team. Outside of academics and athletics, her passion lies in the kitchen. Her love for culinary arts began at a young age and has grown into a professional goal; she is on track to graduate high school with an associate degree in Culinary Arts. Her dream is to one day own a farm-to-table restaurant that emphasizes nutrition, sustainability, and family-friendly cooking. Kerington’s platform, Cooking with Keri, was inspired by her love of creating fun, healthy meals for kids. Through engaging cooking demos and educational content, she encourages children to take charge of their health through food, making cooking both easy and enjoyable. Her talent and dedication to the culinary world have even allowed her to cook for celebrities, an experience that has only deepened her love for the craft. In addition to promoting healthy habits through her platform, Kerington is also deeply committed to community service. One of her most heartfelt missions is supporting the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. As a former NICU baby herself, along with her older brothers, she knows firsthand how critical specialized care is for premature infants. Kerington regularly organizes donation drives and fundraisers to collect essential items such as blankets, preemie clothes, and care packages for NICU families. Outside of pageants and service work, Kerington enjoys trying new recipes, traveling with her family, and mentoring younger girls in pageantry. Known for her warm personality, determination, and big dreams, she is a shining example of how young women can use their passions to make a real difference in their communities.
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*** *** Kelli Franks is our Young Miss International 2024-2025 SPOKESMODEL! She received the highest overall combined score out of all divisions in YMI and YAMI. Pictured below is Kelli and everything she won in 2024. Here is Kelli's story in her own words: "I can't begin to tell you what an exciting whirlwind of a year I've had since I've been crowned! First, I'd like to thank Ms. Sabrina and the YAMI/YMI system for all their love and support. I have grown so much as a person these past two years, both personally and professionally, and it's all due to this pageant. In early 2023, I was in a pretty rough place in my life. I was going through a break-up, in nursing school, and I felt nothing was going right. A good friend suggested we do the YAMI/YMI pageant. I knew nothing about pageants! She reassured me it would be fun, I'd get to work on my interview skills (which would help when I interviewed for nursing positions), and pageant weekend at the hotel would be 3 days of feeling like a princess with the excitement of costume changes and making lots of new friends. She was right! But guess what? I didn't win. HOWEVER - I had a blast and when crowning was over, I asked my friend if we could come back next year and compete. I had a whole year to prepare and this time, I Was Ready!!! I did 2024 YAMI, YMI and all the optionals. At crowning I watched all my friends get crowned and I was SO happy for them! The last award of the day was SPOKESMODEL. When Ms. Sabrina called my name, I jumped up and RAN to the stage! My friends all laughed that I said I couldn't walk in heels, but I sure could run! I'm so glad I came back to compete a second year. In that time I GRADUATED from nursing school, aced my interview and I'm an RN in the emergency room in Texas City. With the YAMI/YMI Pageant system I've done appearances, Astros games, outings like Color Factory, Halloween, 4th of July and Mardi Gras parades. I've also developed my platform, Little Acts Of Love - Finding small needs in the community and publicizing them on my Queen's Facebook page to encourage others to join me. Donations to different food pantries, the free toiletry closet at the local high school, little libraries, the beach box of used plastic toys, and foster care box. If we all do a little, it adds up to a lot! I look forward to meeting all the new constestants at this year's pageant. Please come up and say hello! If you're on the fence about participating, I highly recommend it. Why not try something new? You might go home a QUEEN!!!" How can YOU win the Spokesmodel Crown this year? Compete in YAMI & YMI!Formal wear, Runway wear, Interview, Photo, National wear! You can do it! |