A Crowning Moment

Bright lights shine down on the stage of the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. The final two contestants—Miss University of Florida Mary Katherine Fechtel and Miss Orlando Kelsey Beck—tightly hold each other’s hands as the crowd buzzes with excitement and the drumroll rumbles.

They’re vying for the prestigious title of Miss Florida 2015. Several weeks of intense preparation is coming down to this exciting moment. For one of these ladies, her life is about to be forever changed.

And, the title goes to Lake County’s own Mary Katherine Fechtel.

Rather than gloat in victory, Mary Katherine embraced Kelsey, her eyes filled with genuine joy. There was nothing cutthroat about this competition because these lovely women viewed each other as friends rather than fierce opponents.

During the competition, Mary Katherine danced to Beyonce’s “Listen,” walked elegantly across the stage in an evening gown and answered an onstage question about environmental issues. But that special moment sharing the stage with Kelsey is what she cherishes most from the pageant—even more than being crowned or taking a victory walk down the runway.

The two met about one year ago and formed an immediate bond.

“On Sunday night when we were in rehearsals, Kelsey looked at me and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be special if you and I were the winner and first runner-up?’ That’s exactly how it turned out. Being up there onstage and holding her hand was an awesome experience. We were both elated that one of us was going to be the next Miss Florida.”

Experiencing pageant royalty

Although she’s only 19, Mary Katherine Fechtel soon will learn what it’s like to work a full-time job.

No, she won’t be punching time clocks, but there likely will be occasions where she puts in a 12-hour day. And instead of showing up each morning to an office, she’ll be traveling throughout the state making public appearances, attending marquee events and giving inspirational speeches.

Such is the demanding life of a pageant winner. As a matter of fact, Mary Katherine will take off two semesters at the University of Florida, where she is majoring in family, youth and community sciences.

However, the recently crowned Miss Florida 2015 proudly embraces her unique role and looks forward to fulfilling her obligations as Miss Florida.

“It’s a full-time job and something that I’ll take day-by-day,” said Mary Katherine, a 2012 graduate of First Academy-Leesburg. “I look forward to connecting with people, representing Florida in a positive manner and honoring the Lord in everything I do.”

That shows Mary Katherine’s true character. While the blond-haired, brown-eyed teenager is strikingly beautiful in appearance, her true beauty and grace lies within. And that will be evident when she’s on the road educating people about a topic near and dear to her heart—human trafficking.

She is considering attending law school and working as a lawyer at a human trafficking organization.

“I want to help build up young women so they don’t seek love and attention from the wrong people. People prey on these women, and that’s just wrong. I would love to instill confidence and self-worth into them so this vicious cycle doesn’t occur.”

Meanwhile, Mary Katherine will focus her attention on vying for the title of Miss America. The competition will be held in Atlantic City and will air 9 a.m. Sept. 13 on ABC.

“I look forward to meeting a fantastic group of women from all over the country,” she said. “It will be lots of fun getting to know them, establishing relationships with them and learning from one another.”

No doubt, Mary Katherine has a special kind of beauty that radiates from the inside. In her eyes, that will always be more important than sheer physical beauty.

“I see everyday how the influence of media and ads places a woman’s worth on what she looks like. That’s just wrong. Women need to discover why they’re valuable and what positive things they can bring to the table in any given situation. It’s important that women combat the
overemphasis on physical beauty.”

The importance of parenthood

Women in the Miss America pageant system are intelligent, hardworking, talented, caring and honest. These characteristics can only be achieved through a solid upbringing. Therefore, it speaks volumes that Vince and Dixie Fechtel raised two daughters who thrive under the bright pageant lights.

In fact, their daughters narrowly missed becoming back-to-back Miss Florida winners. In 2014, their oldest girl, Elizabeth, was initially crowned Miss Florida before being stripped of the title days later due to a judging error.

The Fechtel parents always have been heavily involved in their daughters’ lives. Dixie even homeschooled both girls from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. She fondly remembers starting each day with devotion before the girls were out of their pajamas. They’d then sing the alphabet and march around the house or study journal entries of Christopher Columbus.

They also introduced their girls to servanthood at a young age. The family always attended church together and even went on back-to-back mission trips to Honduras.  They also frequently delivered food to elderly or homebound residents in their neighborhood.

“Doing kind things for other people gave them a good foundation,” Dixie said.

The Fechtels also proudly supported their daughters in all their athletic and academic endeavors. In fact, Dixie spent nine years driving 25 miles daily so they could attend dance lessons in Clermont.

“That was never easy, but as a parent you do whatever it takes so your children can pursue things that they love,” Dixie said. “All the things we did with both girls throughout the years culminated in them being able to compete in a prestigious pageant like Miss America.”

Mary Katherine, up close and personal

What is your favorite food? Cinnamon buns and all kinds
of bread

What is your favorite healthy food? Vegetables and anything with lots of protein

What is a typical day of eating like for you? For breakfast, I eat an omelet with peppers and cheese almost every morning. Lunch consists of a salad with chicken, cheese, dressing, peppers and olives. For dinner, I often eat burgers or steaks.

Do you exercise faithfully?
Every morning I walk and perform planks and weight-lifting exercises.

Do you sleep with makeup on? No. That sounds miserable!

How often do you get your nails done? I never used to get them done. However, having your nails done before a pageant is very important.

What is your favorite music? Country. I don’t listen to anything else. Brad Paisley is my favorite singer because his tunes are fun and the lyrics are great.

What is your favorite hobby? I started scuba diving around age 11, and today I’m a licensed scuba diver. I’ve been scuba diving in the Keys, the Bahamas and Honduras.  I love the underwater scenery. It takes my breath away.

What is your favorite subject in school? English because I love reading.

Where is your favorite place to shop? TJ Maxx because I love their discounts.

What is your favorite color? Coral.

What’s your biggest pet peeve? When I have an appointment to be somewhere and I arrive late. I become aggravated with myself.

Do you have any pets and can they travel with you? I have two cats, Tigger and Iffy, and one dog, Pupster. Unfortunately, they cannot travel with me.

Do you have a boyfriend? No.

What is your guilty pleasure? Chocolate and gummy bears.
At the pageant, six fellow sorority sisters in attendance had gummy bears for me.