Saline Student Wins Miss Washtenaw County’s Teen Pageant

The University of Michigan and Saline will be well represented next June in the Miss Michigan and Miss Michigan’s Teen pageant. Two titleholders were recently picked at the scholarship pageant for Washtenaw County held on November 2.

Both winners have unique service projects they are helping to lead along with their creative talents that helped earn them these titles.

The titleholders of Miss Washtenaw County and Miss Washtenaw County’s Teen will go on to compete at the Miss Michigan and Miss Michigan’s Teen pageant in June.

To learn more about this, the Sun Times News connected with Maddie Maviglia, the Miss Washtenaw County Teen Director.

Maviglia said Miss Washtenaw County and Miss Washtenaw County’s Teen are the first step in the Miss America and Miss America’s Teen competition as a local scholarship program that celebrates academic achievement, talent, and community service. Each year the program selects two titleholders who serve as an ambassador for Washtenaw County and advocates for a Service Initiative that enriches the community, she said.

This year’s winner of Miss Washtenaw County is Reese Johnson, who is a 20-year-old student at the University of Michigan’s Stamps School of Art & Design. Alongside her studies, she works as a student employee with U.M. Admissions and is the Deputy Communications Director for the College Democrats at the university, a nonprofit founder, co-director of the animal rescue R&R Sanctuary, an avid theater performer, and so much more.

Johnson’s Service Initiative is Prism: LGBTQ+ Support, Education, and Resources. Prism is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization which she founded and now leads as President. It’s dedicated to supporting, educating, and empowering the LGBTQ+ community in southeast Michigan.

For her talent performance at the Miss Washtenaw County competition, Johnson delivered an exceptional vocal rendition of “The Wizard and I.” 

Maviglia said this year’s winner of Miss Washtenaw County’s Teen is Karissa Tandy, a 16-year-old student at Saline High School.  Tandy is also the Saline Majorette Captain, an ambassador for Setting Scoliosis Straight, a Miss Majorette of Michigan beginner and intermediate, and an active volunteer in the Saline community.

Her Service Initiative is Scoliosis Superheroes, where she partners with the Setting Scoliosis Straight Foundation (SSSF) whose mission is to support discoveries and advance techniques in the treatment of scoliosis in children and adolescents worldwide. Tandy’s work with SSSF and in her community helps to provide support and educational resources to patients and families affected.

During the competition, Maviglia said Tandy channeled her own “Scoliosis Superhero” by performing a baton twirling routine to a Spiderman Remix.  

More information on Johnson’s service project can be found at www.prismmonroe.org.

And more information about Tandy’s story can be found at https://www.settingscoliosisstraight.org/patient-story-karissa-tandy/.

Photo Miss Washtenaw County 1: Saline’s Karissa Tandy is crowned. Photo courtesy of the Miss Michigan and Miss Michigan’s Teen pageant

Photo Miss Washtenaw County 2: Saline’s Karissa Tandy and Miss Washtenaw County Reese Johnson. Photo courtesy of the Miss Michigan and Miss Michigan’s Teen pageant

Photo Miss Washtenaw County 3: Reece Johnson is crowned. Photo courtesy of the Miss Michigan and Miss Michigan’s Teen pageant