The recently crowned Miss Ocala and Miss Ocala Teen are looking to make an impact through community service and leadership en route to representing the city in the Miss Florida competition this Summer.
Tia Unsell and Noelle Schnacky were crowned Miss Ocala and Miss Ocala Teen, respectively, earlier this year through the Miss Florida Organization.
“I’m looking forward to serving the Alachua and Marion County communities while advocating for Dancers Against Cancer,” reads a statement posted by Unsell to social media. “This is going to be an incredible year with my sister queens Halle, Larkin, and Noelle.”
Since being crowned Miss Ocala, Unsell has made it a point to develop relationships with different local organizations.
Through visits to UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at UF Health, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Florida, and the Florida House of Representatives, Unsell has shown a propensity to stay active in her role and connected to the community.
“It is an honor to represent this community at Miss Florida, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of my reign has in store,” says Unsell. “This is truly a dream come true.”
Unsell recently started a fundraising campaign to help with her journey to compete in this year’s Miss Florida competition. For more information on how to support her, visit Miss Ocala Tia Unsell online, or follow her Facebook or Instagram.
Schnacky, whose older brother, Noah, has achieved international fame through an extensive singing and acting career, has achieved Summa Cum Laude every semester at Minneola High School. An accomplished cheerleader and dancer, Schnacky says she plans to pursue a degree in Digital Media Marketing to join her family’s business after college.
Keeping in line with that theme, the teen has amassed tens of thousands of followers across social media that she has been using to promote her causes.
During her short reign, Schnacky has already elevated multiple causes that are important to the young woman.
That includes participation in this year’s A Night to Shine, an annual prom that honors individuals with special needs.
It also includes her support of Congenital Heart Week and Heart Health Awareness Month: Schnacky started a GoFundMe to benefit the University of Florida’s Congenital Heart Center in support of the causes last week.
Both Unsell and Schnacky say they will continue their efforts to shine a light on important causes leading up to and after they compete this summer for a chance to win the Miss Florida and Miss Florida Teen competitions, respectively.
According to the organization, the Miss Florida competition is a pageant that selects the representative for this year’s Miss Florida and Miss Florida Teen. The competitions take place from June 26 to June 29, 2024.
Miss Florida has twice gone on to win the Miss America crown. According to the organization, its scholarship program is one of the “largest providers of educational assistance in the State of Florida.”