FRANKLIN COUNTY, N.C. — Youngsville native, Katie Haynes is preparing to represent North Carolina on a national level this summer.

What You Need To Know:

Katie Haynes is the 2022 North Carolina Miss Agriculture Advocacy Ambassador and North Carolina People’s Choice Miss United States Agriculture.

Haynes, 21, suffers from chronic illness and is in a wheelchair.

Haynes will be competing for the 2022 Miss United States Agriculture title in Orlando, Florida in June.

Haynes won the crown for 2022 North Carolina Miss Agriculture Advocacy Ambassador and North Carolina People’s Choice Miss United States Agriculture in October.

“I’ve never been a part of any pageant system before, but I really enjoy agriculture and community service and this pageant is about both of those, getting out doing community service and doing things like that. It’s not so much focusing on the beauty side of things,” Haynes said.

Haynes, 21, found her passion for agriculture at a young age. Haynes and her younger sister would participate in rabbit shows.

She joined 4-H, a network of youth organizations that encourages youth to reach their full potential. Through 4-H she was required to start her own entrepreneurship program, which she honed in on another passion, photography.

“You can capture nature's beauty and you can show your true talents through photography,” Haynes said.

She has an associate’s degree in photography from Southern New Hampshire University. Since graduating, she started her own photography business.

“When we go to Yellow Stone and different national parks, I like taking pictures there, and people of course, and animals,” Haynes said.

Haynes does it all from a wheelchair. Battling various chronic illnesses throughout her life, it’s never been a barrier to her success.

“I always wanted to be a positive role model for the disabled community and special needs because I have both of those, and I feel like nothing should hold you back in life,” Haynes said.

Haynes started her nonprofit organization, Smiling While Sending Hope, in 2015 to help bring joy to people facing hard times. The organization sends smile packages to children going through chemotherapy treatment, transplant surgery or health issues at local North Carolina hospitals.

“My goal with this project is to bring smiles to people’s faces and to help spread awareness of many illnesses and diseases. To not focus on the illness but to shine light and show others that do not have them not to judge others that may have one. They can do everything you can do, they may just have to learn to adapt in certain ways,” Haynes said.

Haynes is using her platform to spread her message even further.

“I chose to do this pageant to show people just because you have something like this you shouldn’t sit around and mope. You should get out in the community with a disability but the general public that there really shouldn’t be anything that could hold you back,” she said.

Haynes will compete in the national competition for Miss United States Agriculture in Orlando, Florida in June 2022.