Sunday, June 30, 2024
Laney Whitefield will compete in the Miss Texas pageant the week of June 23-29. She is the daughter of Landi Friemel of Granbury and Michael Whitefield of Glen Rose.
Whitefield currently holds the title of Miss Lubbock. She attended Granbury schools from first through sixth grades, and Glen Rose schools from seventh through 12th grades. Additionally, Whitefield was a member of Granbury SEALS from first grade through graduation.
Whitefield will graduate from Texas Tech University in May 2025. She’s studying nutrition and dietetics and plans to become a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) dietitian. Whitefield also serves as the Texas Tech Head Twirler for the second year.
Though pageants are new to her, she is not new to competing. “I have been a competitive baton twirler for 15 years, where we compete in pageants as a phase of competition. This will be my first year competing in a pageant, and in the Miss America Association,” she said.
“I grew up watching the Miss Texas Pageant on TV with my parents and even knew baton twirlers who won the title of Miss Texas. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself, so I entered the Miss Lubbock local preliminary contest. I had nothing to lose and so much to gain. I’m glad I took a chance on myself,” she explained.
The young lady chosen as Miss Texas will go on to compete in the Miss America Scholarship Competition. The Miss America pageant is the largest organization in the world that provides scholarships to women.
Whitefield cites the many advantages that preparing for pageant competitions have afforded her. “I have learned the art of public speaking, advertisement and marketing strategies, and how to effectively fundraise.”
Whitefield goes on, “Each contestant has the opportunity to receive scholarships on stage and through essay contests. Last year Miss Texas gave out over $70,000 in scholarships.”
In the Miss America pageant, each contestant competes in fitness, evening gown, on stage question and talent categories.
Whitefield’s preparation was extensive. “When preparing for Miss Lubbock, I practiced each phase of competition. I completed multiple mock interviews, practiced modeling techniques, my talent daily, and worked out to remain physically fit,” Whitefield explains.
Additionally, Whitefield developed her own community service initiative to present and promote her community: “Food for Thought: nourishing the mind and body though nutrition education.”
“Through the connections made in my community and my degree program, I have been able to attend many events and present “Food for Thought” to classrooms,” Whitefield shares.
Whitefield keeps a very busy schedule and she shares that is the hardest part of her journey. “Attending school full time as a student athlete and working two jobs, a manager at Tea2Go and owning my own business, can be challenging at times. Thankfully I have developed great time management and organizational skills.”
The benefits outweigh the challenges. “I hope to grow as a person more than anything. Miss Lubbock has given me a great sense of purpose and I’m so honored to serve my community. I hope I can continue to grow as I learn more confidence and personal development,” Whitefield said.
Whitefield encourages other young ladies to consider competing, “Girls who dream of competing should make that dream a reality. There are many local competitions in the area that will begin in August through next year. Once winning a local title, preparation for Miss Texas begins immediately through personal and social development. If anyone is interested, they should reach out to local directors or title holders to learn more about specific local pageants in the Miss America Org.”
The competition and awards will be televised on the CW Saturday, June 29
