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30/06/2019
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By Paul Catala
Posted Jun 30, 2019 at 8:01 PM
The morning after winning the 84th edition of the Miss Florida competition at the RP Funding Center on Saturday, Michaela McLean said she was excited and happy to be giving her first official media interview.
LAKELAND — Miss Florida Citrus Michaela McLean said she’s ready to embark on becoming a “salesperson for different brands and organizations” while promoting the state as “the face of the Miss Florida organization.”
The morning after winning the 84th edition of the Miss Florida competition at the RP Funding Center on Saturday, McLean said she was excited and happy to be giving her first official media interview.
Sitting in the lobby of the Hyatt Place Lakeland Center hotel, McLean, 21, said it was one of the first steps during her yearlong reign as Miss Florida that will be focused on showing the rest of the United States and the world what Florida has to offer economically and culturally. She called her experience participating in the Miss Florida 2019 competition “exhilarating.”
Photos: 2019 Miss Florida
“It’s been a fast-paced week for sure and I’ve spent it with 34 of the most talented and accomplished women in the state. We have the whole week together and they become the greatest supporters of the new Miss Florida,” said McLean, who hails from Clermont.
A 2015 graduate of East Ridge High School in her hometown, McLean has bachelor of arts degrees in dance and public relations from the University of Alabama and now plans to pursue a master’s degree in public relations, specializing in crisis management. She also said she wants to pursue a career as Broadway dance captain.
During the talent portion of the competition, McLean did a lyrical contemporary dance to the music of Lauren Daigle’s “You Say.” In the question-and-answer segment, she was asked to share a social impact statement on being “brave and beautiful” for which she encouraged young women to love and lead courageously.
As for her time with the pageant and in Lakeland, the new Miss Florida said she enjoyed meeting local business owners and will work to build relationships to promote downtown Lakeland and Central Florida.
Many of the Miss Florida pageant contestants’ field trips were coordinated by Visit Central Florida, Polk County’s official tourism and sports marketing organization. Outings included luncheons at Frescos and Mojo Federal, and meet-and-greets with business owners and leaders in downtown Lakeland.
″(Visit Central Florida) rolled out the red carpet for us and provided the opportunity for us to meet business owners and other leaders in town,” said McLean, who has traveled to more than eight countries to teach dance and perform.
The 2015 Miss Florida Outstanding Teen pageant winner, McLean was presented her crown Saturday night by Taylor Tyson, the Miss Florida 2018 pageant winner. McLean won full scholarships to Stetson University and Florida Southern College and a prize package exceeding $22,000.
McLean will represent Florida in the Miss America 2020 pageant, with its date and location to be determined.
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