Bailey Scheel

Bailey Scheel – Florida
Nomination by Pam Scheel
Photography by Darris Hartman
Issue 83 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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Nomination: Bailey Scheel is inspiring because of her dedication to her community and the platform she’s developed. As the holder of multiple pageant titles, both at the local (Miss Fort Walton Beach) and national (Miss American Heritage) levels, she gives many hours to community service. On top of that, she developed her own platform for faith-based mental health awareness and suicide prevention called “Hope Through Him”. She currently has a social media page for this platform and is working to organize an event for teens throughout Okaloosa county. All in all, that is why I feel Bailey is an inspiring teen.

Photography by Darris Hartman
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​Tell us about your community and why it's important to you?
The community you’re raised in shapes the person you become, and my community is a beautiful beach town in the panhandle of Florida. I’m the 4th generation of my family to live in Fort Walton Beach, so I can confidently say the community is my family, and the town is my home.

Tell us about your pageant career.
My pageant career started towards the end of my 7th grade year, just a few months into the pandemic. I honestly entered my first pageant because of a lack of other things to do, and I had no idea I’d end up where I am now. I am forever thankful for the life skills pageants have taught me and the family I’ve made throughout my pageant journey.

What title do you hold dearest to your heart and why?
I would definitely say my current title of Miss American Heritage. This is my first national level title, and I love everything the system stands for. They emphasize the importance of public speaking, interview skills, and giving back to your hometown through volunteer work.

What is something about pageants that people might not realize?
There are countless misconceptions when it comes to pageants, but the most common would be that it’s all about looks. While there definitely are some systems that focus more on outward appearances, many are based solely on inner beauty and key life skills. With competition phases such as interview and on-stage questions, it is clear that pageant girls are more than a pretty face.

What are some of the community service projects you have participated in?
I volunteer at a multitude of church events such as Vacation Bible School, seasonal events like the pumpkin patch, and singing in the contemporary worship band. I also love being a part of putting together pageants, daddy daughter dances, and the local children’s clothing project.

Which has been your favorite and why?
My favorite way to give back would be volunteering at an Episcopal summer camp called Camp Beckwith. I have been a junior counselor at this camp since my freshman year, and was a camper there since the 3rd grade. I love being able to make camp fun for all of the kids the same way the leaders did for me when I was a camper.

Tell us more about Hope Through Him.
I started Hope Through Him because I know that mental health is a serious issue in today’s world, especially with teens. I hope to change people’s lives through God’s word, and I know this platform has the potential to do so.

What inspiring things about you does your nomination not cover?
Aside from my platform, Hope Through Him, I’m active in my community in various other ways. I’m in various clubs at my school, such as National Honor Society, Music Honors, Hope Squad, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Madrigals, and Link Crew Leadership. I also hold my schools pageant title, Miss Choctawhatchee, my city’s pageant title, Miss City Of Fort Walton Beach, and a national title, Miss American Heritage. Through pageantry, I am constantly putting my public speaking, interview skills, and volunteer work into action. I think it’s important to give back to your community because they do a lot for you.

What has been a leadership opportunity you've excelled in, and how?
I am a leader at my school, Choctawhatchee High School, through Link Crew. Link Crew is a freshman mentoring system and leadership class that you can only join through nomination and completing the application process. Being selected to be a Link Crew member was a great feeling and now, my senior year, I hold the position of Historian. As the Historian, I run our Instagram page to keep everyone up to date on what’s happening at Choctaw. I take pride in my role as a Link Crew leader and hope to leave a lasting impression on the freshmen class. 

What else would you like to talk about?
I also have a passion for singing that I hope to pursue in my future. I plan on attending college in Florida to study child psychology, but always want to continue singing on the side. Singing is a gift that has the power to make others happy, and that’s a beautiful thing.

What has made you choose child psychology and what do you hope to do with your degree?
I always knew I wanted to be in a job where I was directly helping others, but I don’t do blood or needles, so the medical field was definitely out of the question. As I got older, I realized I was good at talking to people and problem solving for my friends. This led me to psychology. I specifically would want to work with children because I am naturally good with kids and enjoy being around them.

What do you feel passionate about or could talk about forever?
I’m extremely passionate about my faith. As a high school student, stress and anxiety are no stranger to my daily life, but knowing there is a plan for me and my future offers indescribable peace. This feeling of peace is exactly what I hope to bring to other struggling teens through my platform.

How did you find your photographer? What was your experience like? What did you love most about it?
I actually didn’t have to “find” my photographer because she is a family-friend. She has been taking pictures of me and my family since I was little, so it was a very full circle moment to be taking my senior pictures with her. My experience was great, she gave excellent directions and the final images were all amazing. My favorite part was how she was able to truly capture who I am as a person in the images.

If you had nothing to do and all day to do it, where would we find you?
The beach! Growing up in Florida, I always seemed to take the beach for granted, but now as a teenager there is nothing I find more peaceful than sitting on the beach and listening to the waves while I read my Bible.

Look for Bailey in issue 83 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!
*Interviews are not edited after received from our inspiring teens - what you read is who they genuinely are!

click here for more information on issue 83

click here to nominate an inspiring teen