Martha Ellen Tedder to compete for Miss Teen

FLORENCE – Martha Ellen Tedder, 17, of Florence has been selected to participate in the 2015 Miss Teen Pageant next month in North Carolina.

Tedder, a student at West Florence High School, said she hasn’t competed in many pageants before but has been in a few school pageants, including Miss West Florence last year.

She said she is excited for the chance to compete as one of the Florence finalists in the upcoming teen pageant, however.

“It is totally different (than the Miss West Florence pageant). It’s more of a mental challenge than physical challenge,” Tedder said. “They’re making you get in the community more.”

According to a media advisory, Tedder will compete in one of four divisions with girls in modeling routines including casual and formal wear. Tedder will display her personality and interviewing skills while being interviewed by the judging panel.

“Monday, I’ll go to a training class, and they’ll walk through how everything is going to go, and I’ll have a personal interview with the panel of judges,” Tedder said. “The personal interview will be the day before the pageant, and the official pageant is Nov. 15.”

Currently, Tedder said she is out in the community seeking sponsors. She said she is also trying to find the perfect dress, while mentally preparing for the competition.

“It’s a lot to take in,” she said.

If Tedder were to win the pageant on Nov. 15 in North Carolina, she would represent Florence, Columbia and the surrounding communities at the national competition in Orlando, Fla.

More than $30,000 in prizes and awards will be presented at the national competition.

Tedder’s goal is to study mechanical engineering at Francis Marion University once she has graduated from West Florence, she said.

“I want to major in mechanical engineering and minor in education. I want to be a teacher,” she said. “I want to teach engineering, like hands-on automotive or mechanical design.”

Tedder’s grandmother Jane Carter said she is extremely proud of her granddaughter.

“She’s an outstanding young lady,” Carter said. “She’s a Christian young lady. She makes excellent grades. She works part time and does volunteer work.”

Carter said Tedder is a graddaughter every grandmother would be proud to have. Her aim is to excel in everything she does, Carter said.

So far, Carter said, Tedder has seven sponsors and needs three more. To serve as a sponsor people can contact Tedder or Carter at 843-665-1664.

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 5:53 AM.