Lexington, SC (Paul Kirby) - Two Lexington ladies have taken the crowns in the most prestigious pageants series in South Carolina. Ms. Morgan Nichols, 22, was crowned Miss South Carolina earlier this summer, while Ms. Kellan Fenegan won the Miss South Carolina Teen title recently. Together, the pair won more than $70,000 in scholarships and prizes.
Morgan is a graduate of Lexington High School and Clemson University. She competed as Miss Clemson at the state level. Her platform was promoting S.T.E.M. education among students. S.T.E.M. is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Here theme has been, "Stronger with STEM,” which inspires students to stick with STEM through exploration, education, and innovation. She has always been fascinated by science and majored in that course of study at Clemson. Because of this win, she will now move on to compete in the Miss America pageant in December. That pageant is once again being held in Atlantic City, NJ.
Morgan also won the Quality of Life Award, as did Kellan. This is given to contestants for the impact their work has had on the state of SC. Additionally, she’s won several other titles in the past. This is Morgan’s first time competing in a statewide pageant, and it’s almost unheard of to win the first time you compete.
Morgan hopes to attend Harvard University after she completes her studies at Clemson. There, she plans to study for her master’s degree in business administration.
Kellan is a junior at River Bluff High School. After winning the coveted state title, she went on to compete at Miss America’s Outstanding Teen in Orlando, Fla. in July. In that competition, she placed in the top ten overall and was the winner of the Academic Excellence Award for having the Highest GPA. She wound up placing in the top six for Teens in Action, and in the top two as a Miracle Maker for the funds she raised to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. She was also in the top two for ad sales. No other contestant from South Carolina has ever won as many categories during the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant.
Kellan’s passion is working with foster care children. She runs Kellan’s Kloset which provides clothing, toiletry, and other needed items to children who are in the SC Foster Care system.
