On December 1, 2019, Holly McDowell joined the Miss Missouri Teen USA sisterhood and proudly became a Vanbros girl. Holly is a fresh face in the world of pageantry, and she is honored to join this amazing group. Determined to keep up with her two athletic older brothers, Holly loved competing at an early age. Sports have always been a part of her family life, and they set the stage for Holly’s love of competition. Her favorite sports are snow skiing, swimming, volleyball, and softball. She also loves modeling.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Holly now resides in Lee’s Summit, MO, with her parents Timothy and Marcy McDowell, and her brothers Jacob (22) and Paul (19). Holly’s brothers are her number one fans.
Holly loves to travel, allowing Holly to pursue her favorite pastime - scuba diving. She is advanced certified, and she plans to become a divemaster when she turns eighteen. Holly has logged many dives in the Caribbean and the Hawaiian Islands. Her most memorable dive was at night with giant reef manta rays, an experience that was truly incredible. In her future, Holly hopes to use this special talent and hobby to advocate for keeping our oceans clean.
Holly is no stranger to hard work. During the spring, summer and fall she works alongside her brother Paul running their lawn mowing business. In her hometown community of Lee’s Summit, she and her brother service over thirty yards per week. With a passion to work hard and help others, Holly is excited to spend as much time as possible using her title to support communities such as hers in the beautiful state of Missouri. She especially plans to visit local animal shelters, charities, and children’s hospitals.
In July 2019, Holly had the opportunity to go and serve on a mission’s trip with the student ministry team at her church. In Harmons, Jamaica the focus of the week was to build a house for a single mother and her family. The work was very physical and strenuous in extremely hot and humid conditions. Holly was eager to learn and willing to get physical, sweaty and dirty to get the job done! Along with the building project, the team was also able to visit a Salvation Army children’s home where Holly was able to visit with kids of all ages, visit an Infirmary with elderly and severely handicapped adults just wanting companionship, a hand to hold, and scripture read to them! Where most teens and even adults would have been very apprehensive, Holly stepped right in, without hesitation to visit with and to “love on” residents.
After recently losing three of her grandparents, Holly is passionate about advocating for cures for Alzheimer’s and women’s heart disease. Suicide prevention is also near to Holly’s heart. Losing an aunt and an uncle (that Holly never got to meet) to suicide, she wants to spread the word about mental health issues and let others know that getting help for depression and anxiety is important.
After high school, Holly plans to attend college to pursue a hospitality management degree and become a wedding planner. Since attending and participating in many weddings, she knows how important a couple’s dream day is to them. By sharing her skills in organization, management, and genuine love for others, she hopes to help many more couples achieve the beauty and memory of this important day.
Most of all, Holly wants to make a difference in the lives of others! She wants to put God first in all that she does and give Him all the glory. Her life verse is Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” This verse is the inspiration for Holly’s pursuit of Miss Teen USA, and she invites you to join her on this road. You can follow Holly’s journey on Instagram @missmoteenusa and on Facebook at Miss Missouri Teen USA.
(Photo and bio by Vanbros and Associates)