McKennon Dill has wanted to walk the stage as a pageant queen for a long time.
The rising Dorman high school senior has accomplished a part of that goal, winning the titles of Miss Dorman and Miss Dorman Teen Volunteer. She’s beyond proud to represent her school.
“I’ve been dreaming about being Miss Dorman since I was a little girl,” she said. “When I was crowned with that title, I was so proud of myself because that’s something that was truly life-changing for me. I remember the first time I saw a Miss Dorman High School pageant queen, and I remember I wanted to be that girl when I grew up. I’m just really happy about the accomplishment of having that.”
Her titles are just a fraction of what McKennon has accomplished so far in her high school career. She’s completing her final year in the Cosmetology program at R.D. Anderson Applied Technology Center, with plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a long-term goal of owning an operating a successful boutique and salon. She recently attended ALA Palmetto Girls State, is an honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society and Beta Club, and is the recipient of two President’s Education awards in recognition of academic excellence and achievement. She is a member of the Dorman High School Blue Belles, and was part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership team.
She’s hoping to add to that list. This week, McKennon will seek to become Miss South Carolina Teen Volunteer at the pageant held in Spartanburg. That title, too, is something that she dreams of having. She sees the importance of volunteerism, the backbone of the organization.
“The Miss South Carolina Teen Volunteer system is all about service, and I think that as my year as Miss Dorman Teen Volunteer and Miss Dorman 2025, I’ve really taken the initiative to take my organization, McKennon’s Booksy Book Bundles, to the next level.”
“I believe that pageantry is a development program for young girls,” she said. “For me, it’s taught me to enhance my leadership skills which is having vision, passion, and inspiration. Having those leadership skills really gave me the initiative to start my organization McKennon’s Booksy Book Bundles.
That organization was born in 2022 as part of McKennon's SERVE Initiative pageant-based community service. It's based in part on the same idea as Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. McKennon was impacted by that organization as a girl, and by a teacher who helped to foster her love for reading. Now, McKennon’s Booksy Book Bundles has provided 500 books to first-year teachers for their classroom libraries.
McKennon said her famous forerunner has been a lifelong inspiration.
“I’ve always looked up to Dolly Parton since I was a little girl,” she said. “I love her singing. For my talent, I’m actually singing in Miss South Carolina Teen Volunteer. I also look up to her for her Imagination Library. She’s such a good businesswoman and she really does have a heart for children, and I look up to her for that.”
If she wins the crown, McKennon hopes to expand the reach of McKennon’s Booksy Book Bundles on a national level through social media outreach, elementary school visits, and inspiring children to discover the joy of reading.
She’s planning to sing as the talent portion of the pageant - but not a Dolly Parton song. She’ll turn instead to “Journey To The Past”, from the animated film Anastasia. Singing has been a longtime love for McKennon as well.
“I’ve been singing since I could talk,” she said. “I love to sing. I used to sing High School Musical a lot. That’s always been one of my favorite movies.
She’s looking forward to the pageant, but she’s looking even more forward to the fellowship that will go along with it.
“I’m just excited to be present in the moment,” she said. “There’s been so much preparation coming up for this pageant. But one thing I’m really excited about is the sisterhood that I will get from this organization.