Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant Summary
Jackson, Tennessee, June 23, 2019 – For Miss Scenic City Kerri Arnold, the first time’s the charm, as she is crowned the new Miss Tennessee Volunteer on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, Tenn. In her first year of competition and representing the Hamilton County area as Miss Scenic City, Arnold is a 21-year-old junior interdisciplinary studies major at the University of Tennessee at Martin. She wowed the judges in five areas of competition, including talent, private interview, swimsuit, evening gown, and on-stage question to take home the state title.
The Miss Tennessee Volunteer crown comes with many perks – and a job traveling the state as the official representative for character education. The Miss Tennessee Volunteer Scholarship Pageant, formerly the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant, prize package includes a $25,000 scholarship and use of a car for her year of traveling from Serra Chevrolet of Nashville.
“I am thrilled to represent Tennessee and my contestant class as Miss Tennessee Volunteer,” Arnold says. “This is an opportunity of a lifetime.”
In addition to her work speaking to more than 70,000 school children and civic clubs across the state, Arnold will also work to support her personal platform, the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Arnold has personally given more than 6,500 volunteer hours in support of the organization and has helped to raise more than $100,000 to see wishes granted for children with terminal illnesses. Once her year of service is complete, Arnold will use her scholarship earnings to pursue her nursing degree at the University of Tennessee at Martin with the goal of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner.
While Arnold may have captured the crown and scholarship money, there were 35 additional incredibly intelligent and talented young women who will take home scholarships to further their education and professional goals. Additional finalists in the pageant included:
• 1st runner-up: Kailey Jordan, Miss Jackson—taking home $11,000 in scholarships
• 2nd runner-up: Noelle Thompson, Miss Queen City—receiving $9,000 in scholarships
• 3rd runner-up: Addison Hadley, Miss Davidson County—receiving $7,000 in scholarships
• 4th runner-up: Elise Stein, Miss Middle Tennessee Volunteer—receiving $6,000 in scholarships
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Top 10 finalists included (in no particular order):
• Miss Carter County, Alley Morgan –taking home $4,000 in scholarships
• Miss Chattanooga, Samantha Havenstrite—receiving $5,000- for Top Ten placement and the Academic Scholarship
• Miss Fall Fest, Anna Bright—was awarded $4,000 in scholarships
• Miss Rhythm and Blues, Delaney Timberman—receiving $7,000 total for Top Ten placement, winning the Community Service Award and a Talent preliminary
• Miss University of Tennessee at Martin, Amanda Mayo—receiving $5,000 for Top Ten placement and Miss Congeniality
Top 12 finalists included (in no particular order & both receiving $3,500 in scholarships)
• Miss Dixie PAC, Katie Hodges
• Miss Johnson City, Peyton Wilson
Top 15 finalists included (in no particular order)
• Miss Austin Peay, Allie Privitt (also winning the People’s Choice Award)—taking home $3,500 for Top 15 placement and the Public Relations Award
• Miss Lane College, Shannel DeFoe—receiving $3,500 for Top 15 placement and a Talent Preliminary
• Miss Nashville, Megan Ski Hollingsworth—receiving $2,500 in scholarships
Non-finalist awards as well as academic and community service awards are also awarded. Each contestant receives a minimum of a $500 scholarship from the local program and a minimum of $1,000 in scholarships for participating at the state level.
In total, the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant awarded more than $125,000 scholarship dollars to its 36 contestants. This makes the pageant one of the highest-awarding independent scholarship programs in the country. Christine Williamson, Miss Tennessee Volunteer 2018, crowned Arnold. In May, Williamson ceased using the marks of the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant and was named the first Miss Tennessee Volunteer, returning to work with her previous, Jackson-based board at the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant.
“We are so proud to continue our mission in supporting the young women of Tennessee through awarding college scholarships, recognizing their achievements in academics and community involvement, and inspiring thousands of schoolchildren across the state,” says Allison Alderson DeMarcus, Miss Tennessee Volunteer Co-Executive Director. “I know Kerri will add to the exceptional legacy Christine has set forth.”
For appearance or interview requests for Miss Tennessee Volunteer, please contact Rachel Nall, Miss Tennessee Volunteer Business Manager, at MissTNBusinessManager@gmail.com.