Meet Miss Teen North Dakota International 2019 – MacKenzie Johnson!
I’ve been
Miss Teen North Dakota International 2019 for approximately 11 days and 58
minutes but...who’s counting?! It still feels so surreal to finally add Miss
Teen ND Intl 2019 to my repertoire of hats I wear in my life, but it’s one that
I've been prepared for since my pageant journey began. Well, shall I introduce
myself?
My name is
MacKenzie Johnson, as you may or not be aware of by now, and I'm a 17-year-old
Senior at Jamestown High School. I have lived in Jamestown my entire life and
wouldn’t change it for the world. I love to travel, but nothing is better than
coming home to my sweet small town. After all, they do say that home is where
the WiFi automatically connects. I digress. I’m the eldest of three children,
one sister and one brother. My sister’s name is Kaycee, she’s 15 and one of my
best friends. She is always someone I know I can go to when I want an honest
opinion. My brother is 14. His name is Jordan and I'm lucky to have him around!
He’s the perfect pageant brother. From the beginning of my journey, he’s always
known just what to say when I need encouragement. Thanks, little bro! I can't
forget about my parents! My parents are Spencer and Amee, who have shown me
what unconditional love looks like. Not only to their kids, but they have been
a great representation of what love in a marriage looks like. I’m truly
grateful for the opportunities that they have given me throughout my life and
the support they have already given me in the first 2 weeks of my reign as Miss
Teen North Dakota International 2019. Since I'm introducing my family...I can’t
forget about the furry members! I have 3 dogs. A 10- year-old Golden Retriever
named Tucker, a 7-year-old Bichon Shih Tzu named Kipp, and an 8-year-old St.
Bernard named...wait for it...it’s creative...Beethoven! My family wouldn’t be
complete without our puppies!
I’m also
highly involved in my school and community. I participate in many activities
and clubs available to me. Some of those activities include Key Club,
SkillsUSA, National Honor Society, Speech, Choir, and Student Athletic Training
for the high school’s football team. I have also been competing in pageantry
for 6 years now, so that has been a huge part of my life.
When I'm not
running meetings, doing homework, or volunteering, you can most likely find me
at work. I work at The Anne Carlsen Center in Jamestown. Anne Carlsen is a
school and residential facility that cares for children and young adults with
physical and intellectual disabilities. I have a strong connection to this
organization and plan to work there my entire life! The joy I get from caring
for others indescribable and I look forward to each shift.
Among the
many hats I wear, I am an advocate for those with physical and intellectual
disabilities. Not only do I work at the Anne Carlsen Center, but my platform is
Disability Awareness: Redefining Disabilities, Transforming Minds. I created
this platform because of my strong connection to disability. I have one myself!
I was born with Congenital Talipes Equinovarus, commonly known as the Clubfoot.
I faced a ton of adversity because of my disability. I was teased and
had poor body image. I created my platform because I never wanted anyone to
feel the way I did about my disability. A disability is not something to be ashamed
of. It’s something to be proud of! As Miss Teen North Dakota
International 2019, it’s my goal to educate those who are unaffected by
disability and show them that a disability is no different than a crooked smile
or the color of your eyes. They help make us 1 in 7.5 billion!
I am SO
honored and blessed to have the opportunity to serve as the next Miss Teen
North Dakota International and represent myself, my community, my platform, and
my state throughout the next 354 days. (I’m already almost 2 weeks in!) This is
an opportunity that I will not take for granted.
Redefining
Disability and Transforming Minds,
MacKenzie
Johnson
