Mitchell Pursues Her Dreams

By Annabeth Miller, SMT Editor

A Dexter teen has pursued her dream by working hard and keeping the dream close to her heart.

So it should come as no surprise that this weekend McKenzie Mitchell made the Final 5 and won two prestigious awards at the Miss Missouri Teen USA pageant. The pageant was held this weekend in St. Charles.

In addition to being named in the Top 5, the Dexter teen was named the Most Photogenic at the pageant on Saturday night. The award is named for Melana Scantlin, Miss Missouri USA in 2002.

Then on Sunday, Michell participated in a series of interviews with each of the five pageant judges for four minutes. According to her mother, Ann-Marie Mitchell, three of the four judges were former winners of the Miss Teen USA crown.

“She was over the moon when it was over,” Ann-Marie said.

McKenzie impressed the judges during the interview process so much she received for Courtney Chilcutt Interview Award, named for Dexter native Courtney Chilcutt Lungren, herself Miss Missouri Teen in 2002.

Ann-Marie had friends on “pins and needles” during the course of the pageant on Sunday, keeping folks back in Dexter up-to-date with posts on Facebook. When she posted that McKenzie had won the Courtney Chilcutt Interview Award and placed second in the pageant, a chorus of congratulations from friends was posted.

McKenzie is a senior at Dexter High School and the daughter of Dr. Kevin and Ann-Marie Mitchell and big sister to Drake. After graduating this spring from DHS, she plans to attend University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in the fall.

Photo Above: McKenzie Mitchell (right) and her mom Ann-Marie, backstage during the Miss Missouri Teen USA Pageant this weekend in St. Charles.

Second Photo: A young McKenzie Mitchell (center) with Miss Missouri USA Melana Scantlin (left) and Courtney Chilcutt of Dexter, Miss Miss Teen USA, in 2002. McKenzie won prizes this weekend named in honor of these two women.