Mickey has dedicated nearly seven years to the dream of becoming the first MissAmerica contestant with Down syndrome. She's drawn back the curtain and stepped forward to star in the show. Learn more about her amazing journey: 📸: Mykal McEldowney
Although a veteran of dozens of pageants, Mickey said she couldn’t sleep the night before her final competition. It would be her last chance to achieve a dream that seemed so unattainable when she began her journey.As she closed her eyes to sleep, her thoughts turned to Esther. In the Bible, which Mickey studies daily, Esther showed incredible courage in the face of adversity. It’s something Mickey can relate to — something she’s done since birth. Adversity and courage could be her middle names.
The pageant spotlight landed on Mickey in 2016. That’s when she set out on her “Quest to be Queen,” the nickname for her push to become the first Miss America contestant with Down syndrome. As she sat alone at a restaurant table after dropping off Mickey at Ivy Tech, she cried. Her tears trickled down around a half-eaten sausage and egg breakfast sandwich.Chloe Pierce, who directs Miss Spirit of Indiana and Miss Heart of the Midwest, arrived at the auditorium in Noblesville early to prepare for the competition. What she found was cause for concern. The stage was still set for a theatrical version of"The Little Mermaid," including a castle and abundance of tridents.
Miss Indiana 2017 Haley Begay was introduced to Mickey behind the scenes at a different pageant, Miss Metropolitan. She quickly learned why Mickey is so popular. Like Begay, Schmidt and many others, Pierce also built a powerful bond with Mickey. In fact, Mickey chose the February pageant to be her last because of Pierce’s involvement. That’s why Pierce knew, weeks before Mickey’s final lap around the stage, she had to do something to show Mickey just how much she means to everyone who’s come to know her.Backstage at the packed auditorium, Mickey peeked around a corner attempting to find her parents in the audience.
“A lot of people don't give enough credit to people like Mickey who have faced so much hardship,” Schmidt said. “She has tenacity and perseveres and goes after what she wants. She's inspired me to do so many things I never thought I could do.” After collecting her Miss Congeniality certificate, Mickey returned one last time to her place in line with the other contestants. What happened next caught Mickey and her parents completely off guard. Abandoning the running order in the pageant's program, Pierce went off script to reveal her secret. She announced a new award, one that had never been given out before: a Director's Award for Tenacity.
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