London Hibbs, Miss Texas Outstanding Teen, and Madison Fuller, Miss Texas,  smile for a photo at the conclusion of the pageants on June 30. The two currently both live in Tyler. Courtesy BluDoor Studios

Winners of this year’s Miss Texas Outstanding Teen and Miss Texas pageants share more than their abilities to wow judges and hopes to inspire the next generation of young people.

Madison Fuller, Miss Texas, and London Hibbs, Miss Texas Outstanding Teen, both call Tyler home.

Before winning their pageants and being crowned with their new titles at the Eisemann Center in Richardson last Saturday, Fuller was Miss Dallas and Hibbs served as Miss Dallas Outstanding Teen.

Now each hopes to use their respective positions to create positive changes as they take on the responsibilities of their new roles.

MISS TEXAS

For Madison Fuller, 23, of Tyler, the fifth time was the charm.

Fuller has participated in pageants held by the Miss Texas Organization for years, serving as Miss Texas Outstanding Teen in 2010.

After becoming Miss Dallas in 2018, she was able to pursue the Miss Texas crown for the fifth time. Her passion and persistence were fueled in part by the development and progress she’s seen herself make during her involvement in the pageants.

“The mentors I had as a princess taught me the benefits of this program, and my time serving as a teen representative gave me a firm understanding of what ‘a year of service’ truly entails,” she wrote in her resume for the Miss Texas Pageant. “Now, as a miss titleholder, I can eloquently speak before a room full of business professionals or kneel down to look a child in the eye to laugh and engage with them.”

Over the next year, Fuller will serve as a spokesperson and advocate for the Miss Texas Organization and travel around the state promoting the Miss Texas Cares for Children program.

As her platform issue, Fuller has chosen to “Sock It to Cancer.” Fuller visits pediatric cancer patients and uses her ventriloquism skills — which were on display during the talent portion of Miss Texas — to bring smiles to children. During activities with the children she visits, Fuller gives them a plain white sock and various decorations to create their own sock puppets.

Her new role will take her away from teaching kindergarten at Dr. Bryan C. Jack Elementary for the year, but Fuller said she plans to return to Tyler and put down roots.

“I want to make a difference in the lives of the kids I meet this year,” she said. 

She added that her role is about empowering those she comes in contact with along her journey.

“I may be the one with the crown on my head, but it’s certainly not about me,” she said.

MISS TEXAS OUTSTANDING TEEN

Just weeks before London Hibbs’ great-uncle was set to age off a lung transplant wait-list, he was notified that a match had been found.

The death of a young man who’d elected to donate his organs improved the lives of not only Hibbs’ great-uncle, but also several others.

Having witnessed firsthand the positive effects that organ donation can have on families, Hibbs, 17, of Tyler, knew she wanted to make this her platform if she became Miss Texas Outstanding Teen.

With that dream having come true last Saturday, Hibbs plans to continue being an ambassador with Donate Life Texas and to encourage others, especially young people, to “Check Yes 4 Life.” The phrase is designed to help encourage students registering as organ donors to check the “Yes” box when they are getting their learner’s permit or driver’s license at a Texas Department of Public Safety office.

In other instances, such as when Hibbs is interacting with younger students as part of the many appearances she will make across the state this year, she said she will try to make each child she meets feel special and remind them that “sharing is caring.”

Like Fuller, she views the next year as a chance to be a part of something bigger than herself.

“To reflect on my year of service, I hope people will say, ‘London is the same person no matter what she is wearing,'” she wrote in her resume for the Miss Texas Outstanding Teen Pageant. “‘She embraces every opportunity God gives her to impact others in a positive way and her genuine passion for serving others is contagious.’”

This was Hibbs’ second time competing in the Miss Texas Outstanding Teen Pageant. She said winning felt surreal, and she is excited to take on her new responsibilities.

“I’m hoping to inspire the next generation across the state to always stay true to who they are,” she said.

BRIGHT FUTURES

As Fuller and Hibbs adjust to the responsibilities of their new titles, they also are preparing for the national spotlight.

Hibbs will represent Texas when she competes for the title of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen in August in Orlando, Florida. 

“Texas actually hasn’t had a winner since the very first one…,” Hibbs said. “That certainly has been a goal of mine and I’m looking forward to the competition.”

Fuller will represent the state in the Miss America Pageant on Sept. 9 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“It still doesn’t feel real anytime someone mentions Miss America to me,” Fuller said. “It’s been a long time since Texas has had a Miss America, so maybe we can have one this year.”

Both are very excited to compete on the national stage and said they plan to give it their all. 

“There are just so many great things to come in the year ahead, and I can’t wait to see what they are,” Hibbs said.

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