Dawn Stringer, From Newsroom to National Health Advocacy

Dawn Stringer, From Newsroom to National Health Advocacy

Dawn Stringer, Mrs. Fort Worth International 2026, did not step onto her first pageant stage because she dreamed of a crown. She stepped onto it because she was terrified of public speaking. At fifteen, fear was the motivator, but she discovered that pageantry was a space that blended glamour, performance, philanthropy, and something far deeper, self-understanding. It gave her language for who she was and a reason to be heard. From that moment forward, she was hooked.

Growing up in South Carolina, Stringer competed across the Miss America and Miss USA systems, along with smaller organizations that sharpened her skill set and resilience. When one of her most coveted titles slipped out of reach, disappointment settled in heavily enough that she walked away. The pause was not retreat, it was recalibration. College, life experience, and time away allowed her to separate her worth from outcomes and refine her sense of identity. That shift shaped a lasting belief that setbacks are feedback, not failure.

When she returned, she did so with intention. Earning the title of Miss South Carolina World America 2015 marked a shift from participation to impact and from chasing outcomes to building alignment. Competing nationally in Washington, DC for Miss World America opened doors that extended beyond pageantry into her professional life. Broadcast journalism followed, placing her in the center of national discourse during the 2016 presidential campaign in a capital city. Interviewing candidates like Jeb Bush, Donald Trump, and Hillary Clinton required composure, clarity, and credibility. Those skills would later become central to her advocacy and her ability to communicate complex issues with clarity.

Turning Setbacks Into Strategy

After relocating to Texas and building a career as a morning show anchor, Stringer transitioned into public service and marriage. Pageantry called her back again, this time as a wife and mother. At thirty-one, six months postpartum, she entered the Mrs. America system with a perspective shaped by life rather than titles. Competing at Mrs. Texas America 2024 while caring for a toddler and an infant demanded discipline, boundaries, and trust in her preparation. A Top 5 finish affirmed that pageantry, for her, had become a long-term vehicle rather than a series of isolated competitions.

That same year, her life shifted in a way she could not rehearse. A melanoma diagnosis reframed everything. What could have ended momentum instead became mission. Stringer began advocating publicly through the Stop Melanoma Movement, focused on prevention, education, and early detection. She emphasizes that melanoma is both preventable and highly survivable when caught early, while also addressing the disparities in melanoma awareness and diagnosis across racial groups. She speaks openly about the reality that melanoma affects every demographic and that access to education remains uneven.

Her work has since expanded nationally through podcast interviews, advocacy, and partnerships. She has secured two state governor proclamations recognizing Melanoma Awareness Month and continues to advocate for education that leads to measurable action. She underscores that survival rates exceed 99 percent when melanoma is caught early, yet misinformation and gaps in education persist.

Visibility as Responsibility

Stringer treats visibility as year-round responsibility, not a moment tied to pageant week. She uses her title as a tool for consistency, education, and real-world connection, balancing advocacy with motherhood, career, and marriage. She collaborates with the Melanoma Research Alliance, survivor groups, physicians, researchers, and sun care brands to ensure her messaging remains credible and accessible.

She has traveled to Washington, DC for national advocacy and research conversations, including participation in the Patient Forum with the Melanoma Research Alliance, engaging directly with survivors, clinicians, and researchers working at the forefront of melanoma treatment and prevention. Her partnerships include Daily Shade, Melan Sunscreen, L’Oréal, CeraVe, American Hat Makers, and other mission-aligned brands that extend education into everyday life.

In addition to her advocacy, Stringer works in communications for a National Laboratory, a role that strengthens her ability to translate medical and scientific findings into clear, digestible information. Her background in journalism allows her to bridge research and public understanding with accuracy and restraint. As a mother, she intentionally includes family-focused messaging, normalizing sun protection and dermatology visits from an early age.

She also leads through entrepreneurship with Stringer Woodshop, a custom handmade business rooted in craftsmanship, practicality, and family values. The business exists alongside her advocacy, not separate from it, reflecting a life built intentionally rather than compartmentalized.

“I don’t treat the title as a moment,” Stringer has said. “I treat it as a responsibility that doesn’t end when the stage lights go down.”

Her work continues with or without a crown, grounded in consistency, education, and sustained action.

“Pageantry gave me my voice, but purpose taught me how to use it.”