Mrs. Maryland America 2018
Yolanda Makle Stennett
Yolanda is a native to Charles County, Maryland and where she currently resides with her husband and two of their three children. Their oldest son, Michael, is active duty Navy and is currently stationed in Hawaii. Yolanda has worked in telecommunications for the past 20 years and currently serves as the Telecommunications Director for NXGUS in Gaithersburg, Maryland. In addition, she currently serves as the Head Varsity Cheerleading Coach at Westlake High School in Waldorf, Maryland where she has lead her team to five state championship appearances since becoming head coach. Yolanda also serves as the Charles County representative to the Maryland High School Cheerleading Coaches association, is a member of the PTA and serves as a youth mentor and academic tutor.
Mrs. Makle Stennett is an alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the College of Southern Maryland and University of Maryland University College holding a total of five degrees with a sixth to come in December of 2018.
Yolanda is a firm believer in the power of representation and will use her year of service to help promote the importance of cultural understanding, racial tolerance and positive body image and self-acceptance. Yolanda has dedicated her life to awareness of these issues and in fact, she and her vision were the subject of a WE:Women’s Entertainment channel documentary in 2005 titled, “Chasing the Crown.” When asked how she gets it all done and stays healthy, she says “it all starts with your attitude!”