Winners crowned at Fashionetta Promising Pearls Gala, scholarship benefit – Tyler Morning Telegraph

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Updated: September 26, 2022 @ 11:21 am
Top row, from left: Aidyn Paige Warren, Kacey Elizabeth Mims and McKinley Leanne Mims; second row, from left: Mila Giselle Kemp, Paris Sade Mims and Vonyelle Breonna De’Vold-Burnley.
Darlene McClelland-Lewis
The group is currently recruiting girls ages 4-18 for upcoming 2024 year. Visit www.bit.ly/fashionetta or scan this QR code to sign up.

Top row, from left: Aidyn Paige Warren, Kacey Elizabeth Mims and McKinley Leanne Mims; second row, from left: Mila Giselle Kemp, Paris Sade Mims and Vonyelle Breonna De’Vold-Burnley.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Gamma Omicron Omega Chapter crowned the winners of the Annual Scholarship Benefit, Fashionetta Promising Pearls Gala, held at the UT Tyler Ornelas Center, on April 23.
The winners include Miss Fashionetta Vonyelle Breonna De’Vold-Burnley, Miss Junior Fashionetta Aidyn Paige Warren, Miss Petite Fashionetta Paris Sade Mims, and Miss Future Fashionetta Mila Gisselle Kemp.
The Fashionetta Promising Pearls are McKinley Leanne Mims and Kacey Elizabeth Mims.
Since its inception 50 years ago, the scholarship program has recognized girls and young women of strong character who are in pursuit of academic excellence and engage in community service.
All funds collected from the event each year are donated to chapter’s annual scholarship fund and gifted to deserving high school seniors in the East Texas area.
The 2022 benefit raised over $16,000 in scholarship funds. Benefit chairpersons are Tricia Billington, Martha McCormick, and the late Darlene M. Lewis.
The group is currently recruiting girls ages 4-18 for upcoming 2024 year. Visit www.bit.ly/fashionetta or scan this QR code to sign up.
“Special thanks to the planning committee, parents of our young ladies, community leaders, and the members who served Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Gamma Omicron Omega Chapter. Our chapter leadership, Dr. Takova Wallace – Gay, Chapter President and Delphnie Kennedy, as Vice President.”
The group is currently recruiting girls ages 4-18 for upcoming 2024 year. Visit www.bit.ly/fashionetta to sign up.
Vonyelle is the daughter of Sharon and Roderick Burnley. Vonyelle is a junior at Cumberland Academy High School in Tyler, where she is an A-B honor student and taking dual-credit classes in English.
She is a member of the Tyler Junior College Promise Program, National Junior Honor Society as well as a member of the track and soccer team. As a member of the track team, Vonyelle has had the opportunity to run in the Texas Relays in Austin. Vonyelle says participating in sports has helped her understand the importance of teamwork and enhanced her skills such as flexibility and team leadership.
Vonyelle is a 2022 Honors Nominee due to her academic achievement at Cumberland Academy, and due to her interest in the field of medicine she will attend the National Youth Leadership Forum in Medicine.
After graduating from high school, she plans to attend The University of Texas at Tyler majoring in biology, psychology, or chemistry. Her goal, and lifelong dream, is to be an OB/GYN physician and help women throughout their pregnancy. 
Vonyelle is very quiet and soft spoken and likes to stay away from large crowds. Some of her hobbies are cooking, reading and running.
Vonyelle also participated in 2009 Miss Future Fashionetta.
Aidyn is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Lehebron Farr. She is a seventh-grade student at Caldwell Arts Academy where she was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. Aidyn is on the Tyler Legacy Middle School Tennis Team, Secretary of the Caldwell Starettes Drill Team, a cast member at Magill Musical Theater Studio, and a former sixth-grade representative for Caldwell’s Student Council.
In the church, Aidyn is a Rose Heights Church Connect Youth Ministry member and during the summer, she attends the Girls in Action Summer Camp where she is a youth leader and camper.
Academically, Aidyn has been a four-year member of the Millionaire’s Club where she reads over 1 million words each year. She is an A Honor-Roll student and a Caldwell Sources of Strength Member.
Aidyn has been a featured photographer in multiple art museums, including the Gallery Main Street, Southside Bank Gallery, and 2022 Caldwell Arts Academy Black History Exhibit. She is also a UIL Creative Writing Award Recipient.
In January 2022, Aidyn turned her favorite hobby into her first business venture, Perfect Paige Accessories. Aidyn aspires to be a Harvard University graduate and lead a career as a cardiologist.
Paris is the daughter of Brittany Mims and is the oldest of two children. She is being raised in Tyler, where she attends Orr Elementary as a fourth grader.
Paris enjoys drawing, tumbling, laughing, shopping, and playing with her younger brother and cousins.
Paris attends St. Louis Baptist Church where she participates in Vacation Bible School each year. Paris is an active member in her community and participates in many organizations.
Paris’ extracurricular activities include tumbling at Spirit of Tyler, running track with Tyler Metro, and dancing with the Tyler Junior College Dance Academy, where she starred in the 2019 Nutcracker at Caldwell Auditorium.
During the start of COVID in 2020, Paris used her free time to start her own business. She partnered with a family member to sell tie-dye shirts and masks. Their success as young entrepreneurs gained local media attention and they were later featured on The DeDe in the Morning Show, KLTV, and featured in The Tyler Morning Telegraph.
Paris is generous and is a kind soul to everyone she meets. She is caring, funny and energetic and has a beautiful smile. Paris enjoys helping the elderly and aspires to be a nurse when she grows up.
Mila is the eldest daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Matthew T. Kemp, III. She is the granddaughter of Mr. & Mrs. M.T. Kemp, Jr., and Mr. & Mrs. Donnie R. Campbell. Mila attends Wise Elementary and takes pride in her studies. She was recognized at the December board meeting for Chapel Hill ISD for being the “Top Dog” of the month.
She is an exceptional gymnast at Texas East Gymnastics, and loves doing flips on the gymnastics bars.
She is a very bright, creative, fashionable, and determined young lady. Her energy is quite contagious, and she loves making people laugh by telling them her funny jokes. She loves to accessorize her outfits daily and believes that her outfit is not complete without the perfect bow and jewelry (her favorite is pearls).
She enjoys playing with her best friend/ little sister Matilyn (Mati) daily. Together they love to play in their bounce houses, jump on their trampoline, drive their Minnie Mouse car, prepare five-star meals in their play kitchen, play with their doll houses, and create beautiful artwork with crayons, paint, and sidewalk chalk.
Her mother, Meshayla Kemp is an educator and a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Gamma Omicron Omega Chapter in Tyler.
McKinley Leanne Mims is 10 years old and a fourth-grade student at Orr Elementary in Tyler. Her parents are Willie and Jamie Mims of Tyler.
McKinley is an All A Honor Student. She has been doing American Karate for five years and is a second-degree red belt. McKinley has won 10 karate tournaments. McKinley is also in her third year of track with Whitehouse Tyler Metro Track Club. She placed third in the open 400m, the 4x100m relay and is the current Regional Champ for the 4x400m relay at the 2021 Super Regional Meet in Waco. She is ranked 19th overall in the State of Texas for the 400m.
McKinley auditioned and was selected as a District Honor Choir student for 2021-2022 for Smith County. She has performed in several events including the 2021 Tyler Christmas Parade as well as with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra.
McKinley has been named Orr Cub of the Year 3 years in a row. McKinley, her brother Cameron, and sister Kacey collected and donated over seventy blankets for a blanket drive for needy children and senior citizens for Christmas in 2021. She has also donated clothes and toys to various church charities.
McKinley started her own business with her niece, Paris Mims, in the summer of 2020. It is called Rose City Fashion. They make face masks, tie-dye T-shirts, custom designed shirts, headbands and more. Their business has sold merchandise all over the country and they were featured on all the local tv stations, newspapers, and the hit radio show: DeDe in the Morning out of Dallas.
McKinley loves to draw, design, write, sing, run and work out. She loves her friends and family. McKinley has her heart set on being a successful anesthesiologist.
Kacey Elizabeth Mims is 6 years old and a kindergarten student at Orr Elementary in Tyler. Her parents are Willie and Jamie Mims, paternal grandparents are Willie Mims, Sr & Benona Mims, maternal grandparents are Richard & Sheryl (deceased) Slaten and maternal great grandmother Lorna Slaten. Kacey has four sisters, one brother, one niece and four nephews.
Kacey is an All A Honor Student. She is in her first year of American Karate and is a yellow belt. She is in her second year of track with the Whitehouse Tyler Metro Track Club. She placed sixth overall in the 50m and 100m in 2021 at the Super Regional Meet in Waco.
Kacey, her brother Cameron, and sister McKinley collected and donated over 70 blankets for a blanket drive for needy children and senior citizens for Christmas in 2021. She has also donated clothes and toys to various church charities.
Kacey has her own Facebook Reels show called “Sugar Baby Funnies” and has been viewed over 2,000 times.
Kacey loves to play with her babies, loves to write and color, dance, and make silly videos. She really loves her friends and family.
Kacey wants to grow up and be the best kindergarten teacher ever.
Darlene McClelland-Lewis
This special article is dedicated in loving memory of Ms. Darlene McClelland-Lewis, who was chairman of Fashionetta for over three decades.
East Texas girls will be represented at an upcoming gala dedicated to a former Tyler ISD educator.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

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