1st runner-up 2021
A native of Germantown, McKinley Farese was crowned Miss Tennessee Teen USA on 12 March 2022 and represented Tennessee at the Miss Teen USA 2022 pageant in Reno, Nevada. McKinley is deeply passionate about empowering today’s youth, mentoring young girls, and working to promote peer to peer advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In an effort to grow in those connections, McKinley founded “Teens Serve the City”, an organization that promotes teen volunteerism and service within her community.
Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2022 McKinley Farese is a recent graduate of St. George’s Independent School. Throughout her school career, she held several leadership positions, including being a peer mentor for her fellow students, and was a member of the varsity lacrosse team and cheerleading squad. She is also an avid animal lover with two res-cue cats and a very spoiled King Charles Spaniel! Upon her high school graduation, eighteen year-old McKinley will be attending the University of Mississippi with an academic scholarship and majoring in Integrated Marketing and Communications.
McKinley is heavily involved with several organizations and is deeply passionate about empowering today’s youth. Through encouraging teen volunteerism, mentoring young girls, and working to promote peer to peer advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, she understands the value of an encouraging word and a genuine connection. In an effort to grow in those connections, McKinley founded “Teens Serve the City”, an organization that promotes teen volunteerism and service within her community. She is proud to say that this program has uplifted over 40 different non-profit organizations! She is a longtime advocate for the Best Buddies Organization and her passion to cultivate kindness, inclusion and opportunities for individuals with disabilities is a substantial part of her initiative. McKinley has spoken to over 4,500 school-aged children throughout the state of Tennessee about the importance of kindness and inclusion. She is excited about the opportunity to increase that number during her year as Miss Tennessee Teen USA.
The on-stage moments, the tension of the final two and the glory of the crowning, here are McKinley’s state pageant photos.
Lights, camera, action! Professional photoshoots are one of the perks that comes from winning a title.
There’s nothing better than watching a contestant progress from year to year! Here’s a look back at McKinley’s previous pageant photos.
All beautiful things must come to an end, no matter how bittersweet. See McKinley’s farewell walk and other candids from the weekend she crowned her successor Blye Allen as Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2023.
Winning a state title is a sisterhood for life. Here are McKinley’s “after the crown” photos.
