SMITH COUNTY — Tyler native London Hibbs was named the 2019 Miss America’s Outstanding Teen winner at the Linda Chapin Theatre in Orlando, Florida, Saturday evening.
Hibbs, 17, is the first Texan to receive the honor since Meghan Miller, who won the first Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition and held the title in 2006.
On Tuesday, the first night of the competition, Hibbs was the night’s preliminary talent winner for her vocal rendition of “Think of Me,” a song she performed again at Saturday night’s competition. On Wednesday night, Hibbs won the preliminary Evening Wear/Onstage Question award.
After her early success placed her among the top 12 finalists at the start of Saturday’s competition, Hibbs was given several more opportunities to shine onstage.
The Lifestyle and Fitness portion of Saturday’s competition gave Hibbs time to demonstrate her fitness level during a solo workout routine, as well as share details about how she stays healthy.
In a prerecorded video that allowed contestants a chance to describe what the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition represented to them, Hibbs chose the word sisterhood.
“Sisterhood is women empowering women to create a brighter future for female leaders,” she said.
As a top seven finalist, Hibbs earned her way into the Evening Wear/Onstage Question portion of the competition.
During this portion, judges assessed each contestant’s beauty, poise, grace and stage presence as they walked in their gowns.
When answering a question of what app, which is a computer program or software designed for a specific purpose, she would invent to solve a major problem for her generation, she mentioned a project she’s already had a hand in shaping.
“My father has created an app called IAN; it stands for the instant alert network,” she said. “It’s being implemented in thousands of schools across the country, and so I’m proud to say that I’ve been involved in the development of that application.
“But essentially this app is formulated for schools, for teachers and administration to have on their phones to be able to push a button in the event of an emergency and call for help and potentially save thousands of lives,” she added.
Hibbs is a junior at Dallas ISD’s Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts. As Miss Texas' Outstanding Teen, she chose to raise awareness to Check Yes for Life, a teen organ donor registration initiative.
Her passion for this cause came after her great-uncle was set to age off of a lung transplant wait-list just weeks before the death of a young man who elected to be an organ donor. Her great-uncle was able to then receive a transplant from the young man.
Hibbs was crowned Miss Texas’ Outstanding Teen on June 30, winning the crown as Miss Dallas’ Outstanding Teen. Both Hibbs and Madison Fuller, the winner of this year’s Miss Texas pageant, call Tyler home.
In an interview with the Tyler Morning Telegraph in early June, Hibbs said she was excited to compete in the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition.
She also said she looked forward to fulfilling the many roles that came with being crowned as Miss Texas’ Outstanding Teen.
“There are just so many great things to come in the year ahead, and I can’t wait to see what they are,” she said.
