Marissa Janine Whitley (born January 11, 1983) is an American model and beauty queen who won Miss Teen USA 2001 title representing the state of

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. Born in Los Angeles, California, to an African-American father and European-American mother. The youngest of four, Whitley moved to

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...

, at age three after the premature death of her mother and was raised by her aunt while her older siblings were split among other family members. At age 5, Whitley's father was killed in a drive by shooting in Los Angeles before they had the chance to meet. She was the first titleholder from that state to win the national competition. After winning Miss Merrie Christmas for scholarship money her junior year, she was given an entry form by her older sister and decided to compete in the Miss Missouri Teen USA Pageant. Whitley won her first title, Miss Missouri Teen USA in 2000, and reigned until she won the Miss Teen USA 2001 title. She captured the state title along with the award for Miss Congeniality and set her sights on the national title following graduation. With her sassy attitude and warm personality, Whitley's dream came true as she made history at 18 and became the first winner from

to capture the national title during the 19th Annual Miss Teen USA 2001 Competition, airing live on CBS. Whitley remained in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

where she worked for MTV Networks on the College Television Network and as a commercial print model for Ford Models. She continued to speak at events around the country."Biography for Marissa Whitley"
Internet Movie Database."Interview - Miss Teen USA, Marissa Whitley"
Kids World. Interview in 2002.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitley, Marissa Living people Miss Teen USA winners 2001 beauty pageant contestants 21st-century Miss Teen USA delegates Female models from Missouri Female models from Los Angeles People from Springfield, Missouri 1983 births African-American beauty pageant winners African-American female models 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people