LDS Sisters Crowned

Whoever said beauty is only skin deep never reckoned with the Morgan sisters of Southlake, Texas. Holly, 18, and Katie, 14, were both crowned in separate pageants on October 3, 2015, in Grapevine, Texas. Holly was crowned Miss Southlake, while Katie was crowned Miss Grapevine’s Outstanding Teen.

Born to longtime Texans Roger and Susan Morgan, both young women—who are still in high school, mind you—are each so accomplished outside of their pageant successes that winning their respective crowns almost has the feel of a footnote.

Holly is a twelve time US Figure Skating gold medalist, drummer, author, model, surfer, runner and songwriter. Her sister Katie, no slouch, has been awarded

93 medals in USA gymnastics competitions, competed in the Junior Olympic Championships at both the regional and state levels, is a pianist, and an earnest philanthropist whose efforts have included delivering school supplies to impoverished schools in Belize and making and donating 100 fleece blankets to Parkland Hospital.

Both young women, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have received the Young Womanhood Recognition Award and credit their faith and the power of prayer as a source of strength and comfort to them as they pursue their goals.

“Every time before I go on for the next stage of competition, I say a prayer and it really helps me relax and just enjoy it,” said Katie.

Her sister, a Carroll High School senior, agreed and added that hard work has a lot to do with success.

“My parents raised me to understand what hard work means,” said Holly, a five time pageant winner. “I am grateful for all I have, and I am willing and able to work hard in preparation for everything I pursue.”

Gratitude is also a prime motivator for Katie Morgan whose platform of “Just Love” speaks to her desire to give back to the world.

“One of the best ways to show love is through service,” said Katie, a winsome brunette. “When you provide service to someone, it helps them to feel love and happiness and, at the same time, brings purpose and happiness to one’s own life. Lose yourself in the service of others and you will find yourself.”

Katie has a simple plan for changing the world, one person at a time, by challenging others to serve.

“The challenge will be: Every time they think something bad about themselves or others, then they have to commit to doing one act of service or love for someone,” said Katie, a Texas Connection Academy student.

Katie plans to partner with the service networking website JustServe.org to learn of and participate in service projects in the community and hopes to encourage others to join her. JustServe.org is provided as a service by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to match faith, nonprofit, community and governmental organizations that need volunteers with volunteers willing to help.

Holly, a vivacious blonde, is equally committed to service. Author of Beautiful You, a book about body image and self-esteem, Holly’s focus is on encouraging young girls to believe in themselves and love what they see in the mirror.

“Instead of wasting time wishing for a different body, shape, color, or size, I want others to love the unique beauty found within. Then each person can truly sparkle and shine,” said Holly.

Holly backs up these words with action. In addition to her book on the subject, she is a spokeswoman for Project Bliss, a treatment program for people who struggle with eating disorders and body image issues. She also hosts BLING Chit Chats, a program specifically designed for girls. Joining with nutrition counselors and dieticians, Holly explores the importance of self-acceptance, with a focus on proper diet and mental health.

“I use the word BLING because it represents what girls desire—to shine! In each Chit Chat we come up with new words to connect to BLING—for example, Beautiful, Loving, Intelligent, Nice,

Grateful. Each time I meet with young girls we come up with our own unique acronym as an activity to help them relate. I also give them BLING Rings as a reminder of our conversation.”

Holly has distributed over 1,000 BLING rings so far in her struggle to free youth from the unrealistic and unattainable standards of physical beauty portrayed in media.

With all of their amazing accomplishments to date, the Morgan sisters are surprisingly down to earth. They have a certain joie de vivre that is contagious, inspiring others to dream big and reach for their own stars. In addition to the obvious hard work and dedication required to achieve lofty goals, Holly and Katie encourage others, particularly would-be pageant winners, to enjoy the journey.

“If you have fun, it can change your life. The key is to always have fun, though!” said Holly.

Katie agreed, “If you take it too seriously or worry too much, it’s hard to just be yourself.”

Next June, Holly will be competing for the title of Miss Texas, while Katie will vie for Miss Texas Outstanding Teen. Beyond that, Katie wants to participate in collegiate gymnastics and eventually earn a Harvard MBA. Holly intends to own and operate her own wedding planning business and one day compete for the title of Miss America.