Miss Florida USA 2025 is a UF Gator; five other things to know about Palm Beach resident
The Palm Beach resident who claimed the Miss Florida USA crown in May is no stranger to competing in beauty pageants — or winning them.
Lou Schieffelin, 25, a longtime professional model, aspiring pilot and director of marketing for a prominent Palm Beach real estate agent, secured her second crown on the Miss USA circuit on May 25. She previously was the 2018 Miss Florida Teen USA.
The title comes one year after Schieffelin finished as second runner-up in the Miss Florida USA pageant. She will represent Florida at the Miss USA 2025 competition this fall, though a date and location have not been set.
The Miss USA winner represents the United States at the Miss Universe competition, which will be held in November in Thailand.
Here are five things to know about Miss Florida USA 2025 Lou Schieffelin:
Schieffelin, who celebrated her 25th birthday June 7, spent her childhood in Greenwich, Connecticut, a city of 63,000 in the southwest corner of the state.
She moved to Winter Park as a teenager and attended The First Academy in Orlando, where she played on the school's varsity volleyball team. Schieffelin went on to graduate from the University of Florida.
Schieffelin has been a professional model for 16 years, following in her mom Stacey's footsteps.
Stacey Schieffelin was a cover, catalog and runway model for more than 20 years, and she was instrumental in getting Lou and her sister, Knox, into modeling at a young age.
As a child, Lou Schieffelin appeared on the cover of American Girl magazine, and she went on to work with brands like Ralph Lauren, Max Mara and Oscar de la Renta.
Schieffelin said she has stepped away "a bit" from modeling, but she remains grateful for what it has offered her during the past 16 years.
"It's been an amazing experience," she said.
Schieffelin relocated to Palm Beach a year ago, moving in with a friend.
She joined Margit Brandt's real estate office team as a director of marketing and licensed executive assistant, a role she told the Daily News she really enjoys.
"She's obviously been very successful on the island," Schieffelin said of Brandt, who is affiliated with Premier Estate Properties. "I feel very honored to even be on the team."
Both of Schieffelin's grandfathers were involved in aviation. One was a B-17 fighter pilot in World War II, and the other was a U.S. Army paratrooper.
"Planes are kind of in my family, and I'm grateful to be able to continue the legacy," she said.
Schieffelin's grandfather, Ed Stetler, operates a general livestock farm in Lakeland, and Schieffelin often visited during her childhood.
"I definitely was dirty more than I was clean when I was little," she said. "I grew up in the mud. We were kind of in that southern tradition, like respect and hospitality and good business and handshakes. I'm grateful for my grandfather for raising me and my sister that way."
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miss Florida USA 2025: Facts on Lou Schieffelin in Palm Beach
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
20-06-2025
Former Florida student schemed to overturn his conviction in friend's 2012 murder
The murder of University of Florida freshman Christian Aguilar shocked the campus and his hometown of Miami in 2012. More than a decade later, the case took stunning new turns, authorities alleging an elaborate scheme orchestrated from behind prison walls by the man convicted of killing him. Pedro Bravo was serving a life sentence in a Florida prison after he was convicted of first-degree murder and six other counts in Aguilar's death in 2014. Aguilar had been dating Bravo's former girlfriend Erika Friman, who was also a high school friend of the two men. "I was the art kid, and I was cracking jokes... and now I'm in a place where there's hardened criminals, people that have done serious things, and to add to all that, they're also calling me my best friend's killer," Pedro Bravo told "20/20" in his only interview before his death in March 2025. A new "20/20" episode, "They Know Everything," airing Friday, June 20, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu, examines the case. You can also get more behind-the-scenes of each week's episode by listening to "20/20: The After Show" weekly series right on your "20/20" podcast feed on Mondays, hosted by "20/20" co-anchor Deborah Roberts. In May 2025, two people pleaded guilty for their roles in what prosecutors called a plot by Bravo to overturn his conviction. Kelcie Edwards pleaded guilty to fraud for providing false testimony, while Michael Angelo pleaded guilty to perjury for falsely recanting his original trial testimony. According to investigators, the supposed plot unraveled after they discovered that Edwards was connected to Bravo through a fellow inmate, Brandon Campbell, with whom Edwards had two children. Digging into Edwards' phone and financial records, investigators uncovered a cache of secret messages and Cash App transactions between Bravo and Edwards. "They know everything," Campbell said to Edwards in one of a series of recorded calls which helped investigators uncover Bravo's alleged scheme. Campbell was not charged in the case and authorities said he was fully cooperative in the investigation. Investigators said Edwards claimed to be an eyewitness who saw Aguilar walk away alive after a fight with Bravo in 2012. Once the connection between Edwards and Campbell was discovered, the rest of Bravo's plan came to light, according to authorities. "I'm shocked by the complexity of it and the depth of it," State Attorney Brian Kramer told "20/20." "The amount of subterfuge, lies and creation of false evidence, is beyond what we would ever see." Around the same time Edwards came forward, Angelo, who had testified at Bravo's original trial about an alleged jailhouse confession, recanted his testimony. He previously testified that Bravo revealed details about the murder that only the killer would know. The elaborate plot by Bravo was his final attempt at freedom in a decade-long saga that began as a missing persons case in September 2012. It was then that Aguilar vanished after a routine day on the University of Florida campus. Aguilar's disappearance was first reported by his girlfriend Erika Friman, and Bravo, his high school best friend. The connection between the three former classmates from Miami's Doral Academy Charter School would later prove crucial to understanding the crime. While Bravo claimed to be "OK" with Friman dating his best friend, his private journals told a different story. "Every time that we would ask him questions, it seemed the version would change a little bit," former Gainesville Police Detective Randy Roberts told "20/20" in reference to Bravo's evolving explanations of what happened the day Aguilar disappeared. For three weeks, hundreds of volunteers searched the dense woods and swamps around Gainesville for any sign of Aguilar. His father, Carlos Aguilar, told "20/20" he made a promise: "We're not leaving. We don't care if we lose the house. We don't care if we lose everything. Christian is missing, we are going to find Christian." Meanwhile, evidence began contradicting Bravo's story. Police found surveillance footage of him cleaning his vehicle at 1 a.m. at a local car wash, focusing particularly on the undercarriage. A receipt showed he had purchased a shovel and Gatorade from Lowes. The investigation took a turn when forensic analysis of Bravo's computer revealed disturbing searches including "Where can I bury a body?" and "How many sleeping pills will it take to kill someone?" In October 2012, hunters discovered Aguilar's body in a shallow grave in Levy County. Bravo was charged with first-degree murder and later convicted. It wasn't until over a decade later, in correspondence with Edwards about his scheme to overturn his conviction, that Bravo finally admitted to killing Aguilar, although his version of events differed from what prosecutors alleged. "He said that they fought and he left him there, like he'd said in trial, but this time he admitted that Christian passed away in his car. He panicked, and ultimately went out and buried him," prosecutor Tom Mullins told "20/20." "To my knowledge, other than the confession he made to Mr. Angelo, this was the first time he'd ever come close to actually confessing to that murder." On March 12, 2025, Bravo died by suicide at the Okeechobee Correctional Institution. His death came shortly before Edwards and Angelo pleaded guilty to their roles in Bravo's failed scheme. Angelo was sentenced to seven years in prison, while Edwards will serve five years' probation.
News24
18-06-2025
- News24
‘So excited': Demi-Leigh Tebow's new faith-inspired book arrives as baby countdown begins
Beauty queen and soon-to-be mom Demi-Leigh Tebow has penned an all-new book aimed at strengthening faith and self-worth through scripture and personal reflection. Knowing Who You Are Because of Who God Is marks Tebow's third book, following her memoir A Crown That Lasts: You Are Not Your Label and children's book Princess Paris Finds Her Purpose. The book's release coincides with Demi-Leigh and her husband, Tim, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their daughter, expected later this month. Heavily pregnant beauty queen Demi-Leigh Tebow has added yet another book to the growing number of titles under her belt. However, the former Miss South Africa and Miss Universe said this book was 'a little bit different' to the other two she had already penned. Described by Tebow as a '100-day devotional to unbreakable faith,' Knowing Who You Are Because of Who God Is aims to strengthen the reader's faith and trust in God through personal stories, biblical teachings and daily prayer instead of relying on external factors, like appearances, success or the opinions of others. 'The 100 days are broken down into different weeks, and each week is deeply rooted in biblical promise. There is so much space for writing and reflection and journaling alongside the scripture – the promise that we are handling the week,' she said as she elaborated further about the book. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Demi-Leigh Tebow (@demitebow) 'I really wanted to focus on promises rooted in God's truth. So, this book is a guide to understanding who we are and who we've been created to be by, first and foremost, understanding the promises that God has made. I'm so excited for you to come alongside me on this journey of 100 days to unbreakable faith.' According to Amazon, the book will help readers overcome their insecurities and fears and build a more resilient faith. In March last year, Tebow penned her first memoir, A Crown That Lasts: You Are Not Your Label, to help readers claim their true identity, become more confident in God, and live out their unique purpose. People reported that the memoir was inspired by her experiences in 2018 when she passed the Miss Universe crown to her successor, Catriona Gray. Earlier in the year, the mom-to-be also unveiled her children's book, Princess Paris Finds Her Purpose, inspired by her real-life Dalmatian. Tebow explained that the adorable main character embarks on a South African safari adventure but unexpectedly loses her crown, which she believed defined her worth, identity and purpose, during the journey. But later learns that 'sometimes we need a King to remind us who we are' instead. 'I'm even more excited about how this truth-filled message will inspire conversations to help children know their true worth and find their true purpose,' she said about the kiddies' book. Amid her professional milestones, Tebow is also eagerly preparing for the arrival of her baby daughter, who is due close to her birthday on Saturday, 28 June. Reflecting on her pregnancy journey, she told YOU magazine: 'I'm feeling great. I do waddle a bit when I walk now, but other than that, everything is going well.' Despite doing well now, Tebow admitted that her first and second trimesters had not been all smooth sailing, with her experiencing breakouts and hair loss. 'I threw up sometimes, and I couldn't eat chicken anymore – it made me horribly nauseous. Chicken still isn't on my menu,' she said. Counting down to her baby girl's arrival, Tebow also hinted at the possibility of expanding their family in the future, saying, 'A mini-me Tim would be so adorable.'
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Miss Florida USA 2025 is a UF Gator; five other things to know about Palm Beach resident
The Palm Beach resident who claimed the Miss Florida USA crown in May is no stranger to competing in beauty pageants — or winning them. Lou Schieffelin, 25, a longtime professional model, aspiring pilot and director of marketing for a prominent Palm Beach real estate agent, secured her second crown on the Miss USA circuit on May 25. She previously was the 2018 Miss Florida Teen USA. The title comes one year after Schieffelin finished as second runner-up in the Miss Florida USA pageant. She will represent Florida at the Miss USA 2025 competition this fall, though a date and location have not been set. The Miss USA winner represents the United States at the Miss Universe competition, which will be held in November in Thailand. Here are five things to know about Miss Florida USA 2025 Lou Schieffelin: Schieffelin, who celebrated her 25th birthday June 7, spent her childhood in Greenwich, Connecticut, a city of 63,000 in the southwest corner of the state. She moved to Winter Park as a teenager and attended The First Academy in Orlando, where she played on the school's varsity volleyball team. Schieffelin went on to graduate from the University of Florida. Schieffelin has been a professional model for 16 years, following in her mom Stacey's footsteps. Stacey Schieffelin was a cover, catalog and runway model for more than 20 years, and she was instrumental in getting Lou and her sister, Knox, into modeling at a young age. As a child, Lou Schieffelin appeared on the cover of American Girl magazine, and she went on to work with brands like Ralph Lauren, Max Mara and Oscar de la Renta. Schieffelin said she has stepped away "a bit" from modeling, but she remains grateful for what it has offered her during the past 16 years. "It's been an amazing experience," she said. Schieffelin relocated to Palm Beach a year ago, moving in with a friend. She joined Margit Brandt's real estate office team as a director of marketing and licensed executive assistant, a role she told the Daily News she really enjoys. "She's obviously been very successful on the island," Schieffelin said of Brandt, who is affiliated with Premier Estate Properties. "I feel very honored to even be on the team." Both of Schieffelin's grandfathers were involved in aviation. One was a B-17 fighter pilot in World War II, and the other was a U.S. Army paratrooper. "Planes are kind of in my family, and I'm grateful to be able to continue the legacy," she said. Schieffelin's grandfather, Ed Stetler, operates a general livestock farm in Lakeland, and Schieffelin often visited during her childhood. "I definitely was dirty more than I was clean when I was little," she said. "I grew up in the mud. We were kind of in that southern tradition, like respect and hospitality and good business and handshakes. I'm grateful for my grandfather for raising me and my sister that way." Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miss Florida USA 2025: Facts on Lou Schieffelin in Palm Beach
