Miss Ohio Teen’s youngest contestant, a Lexington student, focuses platform on mentorship

LEXINGTON — The irony of Addison Schroeder’s platform is not lost on her.

The youngest contestant in Miss Ohio’s Teen Scholarship Program, a Lexington High School student, has centered her platform on mentorship. Her community service initiative, “Go Kiddo Go,” which she founded, focuses on providing mentorship for kids in the community.

Mentors with “Go Kiddo Go” must represent themselves well and encourage and inspire others, according to Schroeder.

Schroeder’s family has played as big a role in the initiative’s foundation. The only child of divorced parents, she was the built-in mentor to her younger brother, Brody. Though, in public, those aren’t the roles most assume of them.

“Him being 6-feet-3 inches and me only like 5-feet-5 inches, it definitely looks like he’s the older sibling,” Schroeder said. “But just getting to show him what life can be like and what he can do is something that really helps me in life.”

For Schroeder, testing her boundaries has shaped her life. Before pageants, Schroeder considered herself an more outdoorsy person.

“I did not want to start pageants because I was very much a camping girl and wanted to be outdoors,” Schroeder said. “I didn’t think a dress and some makeup would do anything for me.

“But my dad said, ‘Please go do this. Do the crownings. Do the public speaking.'”

Schroeder’s rise through festival and local pageants proved the experience was more than a dress and makeup. It proved she was having an impact through pageants, public speaking and community service initiative.

The pageant life, chosen for her, not by her, represents another formative part of Schroeder’s life: dance.

“I’ve been dancing since I was 2 1/2-years-old, and at that age, you don’t really choose to do anything,” Schroeder said. “Getting older, I’ve noticed that it is my passion.

“It’s something that I don’t have to do, and it’s not just a workout for me … not just something I do for the pretty stages or pretty lights or trophies … but it’s the effort and dedication I can show to other younger people.”

Dance gives Schroeder yet another platform to mentor younger kids, inspiring and encouraging them through a complete representation of herself.

Pageants have been the ultimate culmination of that, allowing Schroeder to convey her platform and talents. She is thankful for her parents’ guidance, leading her to pageants despite her initial protests.

“My dad, of course, has always said pageants are good. They’re going to get you out into places, into a workforce with scholarships, and he’s always said that since I was a shy child growing up, that this is going to get me out of my comfort zone,” Schroeder said.

“My mom is my right-hand man, showing me that I can do anything with hard work and dedication.”

Schroeder anticipates the questions judges will ask when she takes the stage at Miss Ohio Teen. She is frequently queried about her age and lack of experience, regardless of whether it’s a festival, local or statewide pageant.

“(My age is) honestly a disadvantage,” Schroeder said. “I’ve never done anything like this before … I know what some of the younger generation might want or might need, but I also don’t have enough experience going into something like this.”

Those concerns, in a full-circle way, bring themselves back to mentorship. Through her participation in Miss Ohio Teen, Schroeder found numerous mentors to with her concerns and performance.

One of those mentors is 2024 Miss Ohio, Stephanie Fennote.

Regardless of whether Schroeder takes the title of Miss Ohio’s Teen, she knows the platform has opened doors for her. She has connected with mentors and mentees alike. She has put her CSI in front of more eyes than ever.

Perhaps most importantly, she has gained valuable experience that she can take into the future.