12-year-old Pender County girl becomes 2025 USA Ambassador Preteen, uses platform for ADHD awareness

PENDER COUNTY (WWAY) — “Your 2025 USA Ambassador Preteen is McKenzie Robinson!” 

From Wallace North Carolina to center stage in Florida, 12-year-old Pender County local, Mckenzie Robinson, recently won the national title of 2025 USA Ambassador Preteen.  

“I’m so proud of you! Thank you!”  

She participates in community service all over North Carolina but brings a special sense of community back to Pender County.  

Her uncle, Pender County Commissioner Jimmy Tate, is beaming with pride. 

“I’m extremely proud of McKenzie, and she has done incredible, and her national crown makes our whole region and state mighty proud,” said Tate.   

Mckenzie suffers from ADHD and proudly made that her platform. 

She teamed up with a graphic designer and created her own planner tailored to children with attention challenges, with designated notes sections and daily affirmations on each page. 

Tate says projects like this are one of the reasons she sparkles from the inside out.  

“McKenzie knows the challenges that prevents with young people who are facing attention deficit disorders, and she also has taken that in to make it a movement to let other kids know if they do have ADHD that they can achieve, in spite of and because of,” said Tate.  

Along with her back-to-school planner drive, Mckenzie has volunteered with the NC Diaper Bank, summer food drives, and collected canned goods for a local shelter for her birthday.  

“Hello everyone, it’s me McKenzie Jane Robinson and today I’m going to be donating all the pet food to Pet Friends of Duplin County.” 

Her uncle says that his niece is always putting others before herself. 

“McKenzie is one who believes in helping other people and she has a genuine passion for others. She’s one that has a zeal for service, she loves to help folk,” said Tate.  

The USA Ambassador state pageant is March 7th, 2026, and you can find paperwork on USA Ambassador’s Facebook page.