Falcons pride is stronger than ever after a Comp student was crowned Miss Teen Calgary. Foothills Composite High School Grade 11 student Taylor McCarroll earned the title through Patti Falconer Agencies at the Evergreen Theatre in Calgary May 6. “We are very proud,” boasted principal Vince Hunter last week. “Taylor is a great kid from a wonderful family.” Taylor is what Hunter calls a “cultural” student in the school. “She’s one of those kids who supports events in our building,” he said. “She’s one of those quiet leaders in our school.” McCarroll had only been enrolled in the Patti Falconer International Model & Talent Agency for two weeks when Falconer initially encouraged her to run for Miss Teen Calgary last year. While McCarroll doesn’t consider herself pageant material, she didn’t want to disappoint Falconer. “She’s that type of person you want to impress,” McCarroll said. “She would push you to your absolute limits to make you do things you ordinarily wouldn’t do.” McCarroll didn’t win the crown, but that didn’t stop Falconer from encouraging her again this year. It was more than Falconer’s inspiring words that convinced McCarroll this time. Her mentor died from cancer in April, making the teen more determined than ever to be crowned. Contestants were tasked to introduce themselves while displaying stage etiquette, say a speech and attend two interviews with judges. “I was so scared,” recalls McCarroll, who was up against seven 15-17 year olds. “The whole time I was shaking. My butterflies were going crazy.” When McCarroll was asked who her biggest mentor was besides a member of her family in one of the interviews, the answer was easy – Patti Falconer. “Patti was the type of person when you walk into a room and she’s there she makes you want to sit up a bit taller and be a bit better,” she said. In fact, Falconer had so much faith in McCarroll that within months of joining the agency the teen was asked to teach others runway walks, turns, poses and acting lessons. McCarroll also got background roles on television series The Detour and Heartland, and Fargo on Netflix, as well as commercials for Global News and Marriott Hotels. “Getting onto sets of different shows she would throw me at it and trust me to do the best I could,” she said. “Modeling and acting was always a passion of mine, besides dancing and horseback riding.” McCarroll’s father Jonathan can attest to that. He said his daughter had been hounding him and his wife Claire for years. A year ago when Jonathan picked her up from lessons at Heart to Sole Danceworks in Okotoks, she asked again. When they got home, Jonathan looked up Patti Falconer Agencies after recalling girls from his Calgary high school talking about it, and Falconer answered the phone call. An interview was scheduled the next week. Since then, the McCarroll family has been on television shows and Jonathan and Claire have both had speaking roles in commercials, Jonathan said. “(Falconer) told Claire and I about six months ago, ‘I’ve got three shining stars in the agency right now and Taylor is one of them,” he said. Jonathan said he’s not surprised. “Taylor has always been a kid who had her priorities right,” he said. “She’s a very independent kid. She’s very grounded.” Jonathan said the experience will be great for her. “We are more proud than I can ever tell you,” he said. “She’s got a year ahead of her that should be so amazing and exciting and busy.” McCarroll will be responsible for representing youth by attending numerous Calgary events from the upcoming Lilac Festival to the Stampede Parade. She also hopes to be a mentor to other teens. “Being Miss Teen Calgary is probably one of the biggest opportunities that I’ve ever gotten,” she said, adding she would one day like to open her own acting and modeling agency.
