Miss Rising Star Cover Girl 2009
Regina McKinney, Miss Rising Star Cover Girl 2009
San Benito
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the readers of The Rising Star Magazine. My name is Regina Lea McKinney and I am a twenty-one year old San Benito native majoring in Early Childhood Education at the University of Texas at Brownsville on a full academic scholarship. In addition to being a full time student, I am a full time employee at Riverside Middle School in the San Benito Consolidated School District as a paraprofessional. I am fortunate enough to work with a great staff and administration and exceptional students. Education is a very important facet in my life. I have chosen to dedicate my life to promoting education and sharing what I believe to be one of the greatest gifts, knowledge.
Needless to say, I am a very busy girl. This does not stop me from participating in one of my favorite hobbies, pageants! While I have only been competing for three short years, I have won such titles as Miss San Benito 2006, Miss Cameron County 2007, Miss South Texas All American 2008, and most recently Miss Rising Star Cover Girl 2009.
The title of Miss Rising Star Cover Girl 2009 was bestowed upon me in November and already I have felt the dramatic change in my life. With this title comes the opportunity to not only represent a magazine that has had a positive outlook on our community but to voice my opinion as an honorary editor. I expect 2009 to bring many new experiences. After all it is a new year and it is a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. Like so many people around the world, we decide to make resolutions ranging from going to the gym more to spending time with family and friends. I like to look at the New Year as a time to make new goals and assess the progress you have made since last year. I am especially excited to start the New Year because of my title and all the doors that are waiting to be opened. I plan to devote my time and efforts towards promoting The Rising Star and of course the area which it covers, the RGV; and to add to its already sterling reputation. As the successor of a multi-talented Miss Rising Star 2008, Kyrstie Cox, I know I will have some big shoes to fill but I intend to make this year exceptionally outstanding by using every fiber of my being to fulfill the responsibilities that have been set before me.
Teen Rising Star Cover Girl 2009
Malarie Wells, Teen Rising Star Cover Girl 2009
Weslaco
Malarie Micah Wells is currently a junior at Weslaco High School. By Teen Miss Rising Star Cover Girl she has had many new exciting experiences and opportunities. Teaching gymnastics to the children of the community at five Star gymnastic is one thing she enjoys. She runs and pole-vaults for the Weslaco High School Girls Track Teem. Malarie is actively involved with her Media Technology program. She is also a part of the Senior A Dance Company at Palm Valley Gymnastics and Dance. When Malarie has a little free time she loves to express herself by painting. When Malarie graduates from High School, she has plans to attend Hill Song International Leadership College for Media Technology and Dance in Sydney Australia.
Pre-Teen Rising Star Cover Girl 2009
Katie Majors, Pre-Teen Rising Star Cover Girl 2009
Weslaco
Katie has been an honor roll WISD student and is currently an eighth grader at Mid Valley Christian Academy. She plans on attending Med High School next year. She has recently been accepted into the RGV’s Med Ed program sponsored by the UT Health Alliances. She has competed regionally with her Science project on Pollution in the Rio Grande River. She enjoys participating in beauty pageants and has been named Miss Springsweet and during this reign represented our region at the request of Armando Martinez, Texas House of Representatives, during “District 39 Day” at the state capital. She was presented formally on the House floor. Katie is currently Jr. Miss South Texas as well as Pre-Teen Miss Rising Star. Katie loves ballet, music, animals, and being with friends and family. She enjoys singing in her church’s youth group band. Katie is an energetic volunteer who worked for the Salvation Army during Hurricane Dolly and works for the RGV Food Bank regularly. She likes traveling and has been as far North as Alaska and Canada and as far South as Belize and Honduras. Katie wants to be a dentist when she grows up but she also wants to incorporate her strong gift for journalism and photography into her profession. Katie is thankful for all the opportunities God has given her.
Junior Miss Rising Star Cover Girl 2009
Zoe Velasquez, Junior Miss Rising Star Cover Girl 2009
Edinburg
Zoe Mariana Velasquez was born in Edinburg, Texas on March 13th of 1999. She is daughter of the late Francisco Eliseo Velasquez Jr. and Mirta Ramos – Velasquez. Zoe has 3 older brothers (Matthew Frank Ramos – Velasquez, Eli Jamal Velasquez & Alec Jordan Velasquez) and 1 older sister (Aissa Marie Velasquez). She currently attends Lincoln Elementary where she is a 4th grade student, a cheerleader and involved in UIL. Some of her hobbies include singing, dancing, modeling for Missy’s Modeling & participate in Beauty Pageants. She also enjoys spending time with family. Her paternal grandparents are Francisco Eliseo Velasquez and Martha Velasquez of Mission, Texas. Her maternal grandparents are Anabel Requenez – Mata and Daniel Mata of Edinburg, Texas and Faustino A. Ramos of Mission, Texas.
Little Miss Rising Star Cover Girl 2009
Liliana Bautista, Little Miss Rising Star Cover Girl
Weslaco
Lily was born on the 22nd of November 2002, in Weslaco, Texas. Before her debut into the pageantry world at the age of 5, Lily sang at school functions and modeled around the house. Lily is very active for her age; she is often caught singing in the shower or modeling clothes that she is trying on. Lily is currently a kindergartner at Margo Elementary. She is the big sister of Hannah and the proud daughter of Gabriel and Francis Montelongo. In the future Lily would love to become a teacher, but in the meantime she plans to continue her singing career and hopes to participate in more pageants. She is also the current Little Miss RGV Cinderella 2009 title holder.
About the Pageant