MissGainesville

Miss Gainesville 2024

Halle Burton

Halle Burton, Miss Gainesville 2024, is a junior at the University of Florida studying public relations with an outside concentration in political science. She stays busy as an intern at UF’s Office of Strategic Communications, student senator, and co-chair of the mental health ad-hoc committee. She is serving a second term on the Alpha Chi Omega executive board, following her year as VP of Philanthropy and raising $13,750 for Peaceful Paths in Alachua County. Halle has spent the last 7 years promoting volunteerism and its built-in mental health benefits through her initiative, "Serve Our State.” She is a Gainesville native who fell in love with the Miss Gainesville Organization as a Sunshine Little Sister at the age of 6.

Miss Ocala

Miss Ocala 2024

Tia Unsell

Miss Ocala 2024 is Tia Unsell! Tia is 25 years old and attends Florida State University obtaining a Bachelor’s in Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Her future plan is to become Speech Language Pathologist in the school district she grew up in to build up the future generation. For the past 9 years, Tia has been a recreational and competitive dance teacher at Studio 88 Dance Productions in Crawfordville, FL, where she grew up dancing. With this opportunity she is able to teach dance technique and instill in her students the value of working hard to achieve their goals. Tia’s platform is Dancers Against Cancer- a non profit organization that provides financial assistance to dancers, dance educators, and their families battling cancer. Currently Dancers Against Cancer has raised over $2 million with the goal of $5 million. She has had the privilege to be a DAC Ambassador this year closely working with the Dancers Against Cancer organization by attending partnering dance competitions, organizing personal fundraisers, and talking to dance studios about becoming “Hope Studios” across North Florida.

What Tia is looking forward to during her reign is getting out in the Alachua and Marion county communities and impacting the lives of those around her. With the goal of establishing two “Hope Studios” across both counties, Tia is ready to conquer her year and is truly living in the moment!

Miss Gainesville’s Teen 2024

Larkin Mainwaring

Larkin Hannah Mainwaring is a Junior and honor student at Pasco eSchool and Dual Enrolled at Pasco Hernando State College, where she is pursuing her AA degree. Larkin’s goal is to obtain a bachelor's degree in fine arts and pursue a career in performance while continuing her work to raise awareness for Invisible Illnesses. She aspires to be on Broadway one day.

Larkin was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome at the age of 12. Prior to her diagnosis, Larkin faced years of misdiagnosis, the dismissal of her pain by medical professionals, and bullying from her peers. In 2019, she underwent a femoral/tibial bilateral Osteotomy. The recovery process was prolonged and painful, taking her over a year to learn how to walk again independently. Only after surgery did she discover that EDS contributed to the prolonged healing process. This challenging experience ignited Larkin at the age of 14 to start her non-profit, “Not-Invisible Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome,” to raise awareness, funding for research, and educate others about invisible illnesses, along with addressing the impact of bullying. She has also launched the "Spread the Word Kindness Bracelets" line, where 20% of the net proceeds go to PACER’S National Bullying Prevention Center.

Larkin serves on the Youth Advisory Board for PACER’s National Bullying

Prevention Center, the Teen Advisory Board of Kids Helping Kids Pasco, and the Youth Board at Arts in Motion Community Youth Theater in Dade City. Additionally, she participates in a support group for teens impacted by Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Larkin authored and fully illustrated a children's book titled “Don’t Bully Me for What You Can’t See,” aimed at educating young children about invisible illnesses and the impact of bullying. Her cats, Maisey and Whiskers, are featured in the book.

Larkin's goal is to share her book and story with kids across the state of Florida. Beyond her advocacy work, she has been actively involved in the performing arts since the age of seven. In her free time, she participates in local theatre productions and competes in talent competitions, earning numerous regional and national awards for her vocal and acting performances. Larkin also dedicates time to studying dance at Blackwood Studios.

Larkin cannot thank the Miss Florida Organization enough for her growth, lifelong friendships, and scholarship dollars that she has earned for her future education; she knows she would not be the person she is today without the organization, and she looks forward to continuing her journey and serving the community of Gainesville as Miss Gainesville’s Teen.

Please visit larkinhannahmainwaring.com to find out more about her and her journey.

MissGaiensvillesTeen

Miss Ocala's Teen 2024

Noelle Schnacky

Noelle Schnacky, the new Miss Ocala's Teen 2024 is not your ordinary high school student. She is a varsity cheerleader, a seasoned competitive dancer with over a decade of experience, and a straight-A, dual enrollment student currently in her 11th-grade year. Noelle is excited about the opportunity to continue serving the Florida community in her role as Miss Ocala’s Teen.

Beyond her academic and extracurricular achievements, Noelle is deeply committed to making a positive impact through her Community Service Initiative, "Hope for Heart Kids." This initiative reflects her passionate dedication to supporting research for congenital heart disease. Noelle collaborates with various community nonprofits, including the University of Florida's Congenital Heart Center, with the shared goal of advancing scientific knowledge to extend and save lives. For more information on Hope for Heart Kids, please visit www.hopeforkidsfl.com. Her heart shines through her tireless efforts in contributing to the betterment of our Florida community.