Sydnee Stottlemyre
Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen 2008 (4th runner up @ MAOT 2009)
Miss Missouri Teen USA 2011 (4th runner up @ Miss Teen USA 2011)
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Gateway St Louis' Outstanding Teen?
Actually, about a month before the 2008 Miss Gateway St. Louis Outstanding Teen pageant, I was ready to take a break from pageantry all together after six years of competing. In all those six years, I had never won a title - too tall, too older-looking, etc. After competing in my first Outstanding Teen pageant a month earlier, I was discouraged from not even placing. I was 13 at the time; I had never heard of a "panel interview" before competing in Outstanding Teen- I was intimidated. Luckily, a very close pageant friend of mine convinced me to give Outstanding Teen another try. The two of us entered the Miss Gateway Scholarship program, and both walked away with titles to compete at Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen that summer. To this day, I am so thankful that Stephanie Patton pushed me to "get back on the horse." If I hadn't, my life would be completely different today. It would be a lot less full of some pretty incredible people I met along the way, many of which are truly great friends, and all of whom I've been blessed to meet along my journey. And, untimely, I would have never been able to serve as Miss Missouri's Outstanding
Teen 2008.
Tell us about your platform, "The Healing Power of Pets".
I consider myself the luckiest pageant girl in the world because I think I had the most awesome platform - ever, period, no question! I was honored to serve as the National Spokesperson for ReCHAI (The
Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri-Columbia). ReCHAI is an organization that puts the research behind what animals lovers believe - humans scientifically benefit from animals. Throughout my years as Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen and continuing to today, I have been able to volunteer in several
programs that branch from ReCHAI including: Walk a Hound - Lose a Pound: for Seniors, Walk a Hound - Lose a Pound: Community Walk, Reading to Rover, PAWSitive Visits, and PALS. Being able to witness
the human-animal bond has been one the most rewarding experiences of my life. Plus, I've been able to hang out with some pretty cool animals!
Why did you decide to crossover and compete in the Miss Universe system?
When I was eight, I went to watch Lindsay Douglas (Miss KS USA 2002), a family friend, compete for the title of Miss USA 2002. She was smart, beautiful, funny, and just downright nice - really a role-model
that made an impression on an eight-year-old. In her, I saw someone that I wanted to grow up to be like. Ever since then, I wanted to compete in the Miss Universe Organization because I saw the kind of woman I wanted to be in that organization; becoming Miss Missouri Teen USA 2011 gave me the chance to carry on Lindsay's legacy of a classy,
well-rounded title holder that is simply a good person.
What was going through your head when you were announced as the 4th runner up at both Miss America's Outstanding Teen and at Miss Teen USA?
For someone who had competed in pageants for six years before ever taking home a crown, the reality that I had placed in the top 5 at both Miss America's Outstanding Teen and Miss Teen USA was shocking. I
had never expected to see that kind of success; I sill cannot believe how blessed I have been. It is so humbling, and such an honor to have served my state twice, and placing at the national level still makes
me afraid that I am going to wake up someday and realize it was all just a dream. It has been, in one word, unreal. All I can say is this:good things come to those who place 4th Runner-Up - twice!!
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen or as Miss Missouri Teen USA?
There are so many! I have loved every second I have spent in each system. But I have to say one of the most memorable was meeting my celeb crush, Jimmy Fallon. After proclaiming my love for him at Miss Teen USA during my top 5 questions, Atlantis Resort flew me back two weeks later to attend his comedy tour. I have never A) been so
embarrassed in my life having to explain to him why I was there and B) experienced the paranoia of fainting when I told Jimmy that I was in fact in love with him.
Will we see you compete in another pageant in the near future?
Absolutely! Pageants have been such a huge part of my life, and I know I wouldn't be the same person I am had I never competed. I know my future involves pageantry, though I do not know in what capacity. But
before I think about competing again, I'm going to get my college degree!
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Missouri Teen USA ended?
After I passed on the Miss Missouri Teen USA title, I finished up mysenior year of high school and had a wonderful summer traveling with my family and friends. Early this August, I moved to Columbia, MO,
where I attend The University of Missouri-Columbia and joined the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma. I will be studying sports broadcast, and hope to be reporting from the sidelines one day!
Actually, about a month before the 2008 Miss Gateway St. Louis Outstanding Teen pageant, I was ready to take a break from pageantry all together after six years of competing. In all those six years, I had never won a title - too tall, too older-looking, etc. After competing in my first Outstanding Teen pageant a month earlier, I was discouraged from not even placing. I was 13 at the time; I had never heard of a "panel interview" before competing in Outstanding Teen- I was intimidated. Luckily, a very close pageant friend of mine convinced me to give Outstanding Teen another try. The two of us entered the Miss Gateway Scholarship program, and both walked away with titles to compete at Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen that summer. To this day, I am so thankful that Stephanie Patton pushed me to "get back on the horse." If I hadn't, my life would be completely different today. It would be a lot less full of some pretty incredible people I met along the way, many of which are truly great friends, and all of whom I've been blessed to meet along my journey. And, untimely, I would have never been able to serve as Miss Missouri's Outstanding
Teen 2008.
Tell us about your platform, "The Healing Power of Pets".
I consider myself the luckiest pageant girl in the world because I think I had the most awesome platform - ever, period, no question! I was honored to serve as the National Spokesperson for ReCHAI (The
Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri-Columbia). ReCHAI is an organization that puts the research behind what animals lovers believe - humans scientifically benefit from animals. Throughout my years as Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen and continuing to today, I have been able to volunteer in several
programs that branch from ReCHAI including: Walk a Hound - Lose a Pound: for Seniors, Walk a Hound - Lose a Pound: Community Walk, Reading to Rover, PAWSitive Visits, and PALS. Being able to witness
the human-animal bond has been one the most rewarding experiences of my life. Plus, I've been able to hang out with some pretty cool animals!
Why did you decide to crossover and compete in the Miss Universe system?
When I was eight, I went to watch Lindsay Douglas (Miss KS USA 2002), a family friend, compete for the title of Miss USA 2002. She was smart, beautiful, funny, and just downright nice - really a role-model
that made an impression on an eight-year-old. In her, I saw someone that I wanted to grow up to be like. Ever since then, I wanted to compete in the Miss Universe Organization because I saw the kind of woman I wanted to be in that organization; becoming Miss Missouri Teen USA 2011 gave me the chance to carry on Lindsay's legacy of a classy,
well-rounded title holder that is simply a good person.
What was going through your head when you were announced as the 4th runner up at both Miss America's Outstanding Teen and at Miss Teen USA?
For someone who had competed in pageants for six years before ever taking home a crown, the reality that I had placed in the top 5 at both Miss America's Outstanding Teen and Miss Teen USA was shocking. I
had never expected to see that kind of success; I sill cannot believe how blessed I have been. It is so humbling, and such an honor to have served my state twice, and placing at the national level still makes
me afraid that I am going to wake up someday and realize it was all just a dream. It has been, in one word, unreal. All I can say is this:good things come to those who place 4th Runner-Up - twice!!
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen or as Miss Missouri Teen USA?
There are so many! I have loved every second I have spent in each system. But I have to say one of the most memorable was meeting my celeb crush, Jimmy Fallon. After proclaiming my love for him at Miss Teen USA during my top 5 questions, Atlantis Resort flew me back two weeks later to attend his comedy tour. I have never A) been so
embarrassed in my life having to explain to him why I was there and B) experienced the paranoia of fainting when I told Jimmy that I was in fact in love with him.
Will we see you compete in another pageant in the near future?
Absolutely! Pageants have been such a huge part of my life, and I know I wouldn't be the same person I am had I never competed. I know my future involves pageantry, though I do not know in what capacity. But
before I think about competing again, I'm going to get my college degree!
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Missouri Teen USA ended?
After I passed on the Miss Missouri Teen USA title, I finished up mysenior year of high school and had a wonderful summer traveling with my family and friends. Early this August, I moved to Columbia, MO,
where I attend The University of Missouri-Columbia and joined the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma. I will be studying sports broadcast, and hope to be reporting from the sidelines one day!