Katelyn Stone

Miss Southern Magnolia

Hometown:  Hattiesburg, MS

Platform:      Stop the Stigma: Mental Health Stigma Awareness

Talent:           Speed Painting

What college did you attend, or are currently attending?             Mississippi College

What is your major?  General Biology with a minor in Studio Art

What is your scholastic ambition?  To graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and obtain a Master’s of Fine Arts.

List scholastic honors: Coca Cola Gold Scholar Award Winner, All Mississippi Academic First Team, Who’s Who Among American Universities and Colleges, Member of the Charles Pickering Honors Institute, Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society Chapter Officer, Tullos Award Scholarship winner, Jones County Jr. College Hall of Fame

Greatest non-academic accomplishment: Starting a business painting pet portraits that allows me to make others smile!                                                                                                               

What is your favorite style of music?              Pop

What is your favorite movie genre and why?            Romantic comedy because it has all the emotion of a romance with the fun and lightheartedness of a comedy. It’s the best of both worlds!

What is your favorite gadget?    My computer. I can research on it for a class or catch up on my latest Netflix obsession.

What is your favorite blog?        TheShineProject.com

What is your favorite place to visit? My grandmother’s refrigerator

What is your favorite food?          Dill pickle chips

If you were on a deserted island, what book would you want with you?  The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

Do you twitter? To answer the question in 280 characters or less, absolutely.


What is your favorite?

Sport: Horseback Riding

Sports Team:  Mississippi College Choctaws

Actor:             Tom Hanks                    

Actress:   Anne Hathaway

Television Program:  Dancing with the Stars

Wardrobe Accessory: The opal earrings my grandmother gave me. They go with everything!

Thing to do on a weekend:  geocaching in a new city

Way to spend playing a day off:  hiking with my dog, quilting with my grandmother, or horseback riding on a beautiful afternoon.

What is your hometown like?    Hattiesburg is a great place if you like the convenience of living in a city, but still enjoy the charm of the countryside. You can watch a show or do some shopping at lunch and be among the pine trees and pastures in the afternoon.

What were you like when you were a child?  I was always drawing something (usually horses) or trying to catch lizards and bugs outside. Not much has changed.

Who is the most influential person in your life?       My grandmother has always been a faithful example of a strong woman who loves unconditionally. She’s never stopped encouraging me.


I may seem like a girly girl, but I actually love all things creepy crawly. I’ve always been fascinated by reptiles and bugs.                                                                                               _____


After a horseback riding injury that left me handicapped for three months, the first time I got back on a horse was one of the biggest face-your-fear moments of my life. I knew I        couldn’t let fear keep me from accomplishing my goals, and I’m so glad I didn’t.


Being a good leader and representative of your values means constantly striving to be a better version of yourself in all areas. There’s a lot of hard work and determination that goes into being a well-rounded role model.


I want to continue my efforts to eliminate mental health stigma and put schools in touch with resources that will help students see why it is so important that we take care of our        minds just as well as our bodies. I hope to educate children and adults on the benefits of animals in alleviating mental and physical health strain, and I want to make animal assisted activities more regularly accessible to people in need.

What is your secret wish or dream?  To ride a horse bareback on the beach

I’m motivated by:  Small successes. Achieving one goal makes me even more eager to reach for the next one.


Several members of my family have been diagnosed with serious mental illnesses and I have seen the negative response mental illness often receives. I don’t ever want someone to avoid seeking help because of fear of being judged. Having access to animals has allowed me a therapeutic outlet to eliminate stress and avoid developing mental illnesses of my own. I would like to see more people enjoy the benefits of animal interaction.


Electing the first African American president has represented triumph and hope for millions of Americans and is a major defining moment in our nation’s history.

The one thing I can’t live without:         A1 Steak Sauce

My best friend would describe me as:  intelligent, outgoing, free-spirited, inspirational, and determined

Something interesting about my family:         Weighing only two pounds, my great grandfather was discovered by fisherman as an abandoned baby in a shoe box under a bridge. He eventually grew up to be 6’3” and could free-dive 40 ft. in one breath.

Funniest or most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me:  One of my friends once asked me, “What’s a lisp?” with an actual lisp. The friend does not have a lisp.

One thing I’d like to try that is out of character for me:      ball room dancing!

Do you have any pets? If so, what kind and tell us their names:  I have a beagle named Harley, a cat named Blue, and two lizards named Pascal and Sheila.