Miss TN Volunteer hosts Preliminary Pageant

JACKSON, Tenn. — Residents gathered at The Ned to support the women of West Tennessee.

Sunday evening, board members of The Miss Tennessee Volunteer Association hosted their annual preliminary beauty pageant.

Judges and pageant officials say they were excited to see what these girls had to offer.

“Today we have the Miss Alexandria, The Miss Hub City and then we’re adding Ms.Rutherford County and Ms.Murfreesboro due to snow canceling their pageants,” said Emily Ann Sparks, the Executive Director of the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant.

Sparks says the pageants are about more than looking pretty.

She says the girls have to show the beauty within because then only will it be able to illuminate the beauty on the surface.

“Volunteer system is a whole lot more than that. Interview is 40 percent of their score. So, how can you stand here and talk one-on-one with the judges? They got to have a platform. They got to stand for something and work on it,” Sparks said.

Sparks also says the traditional barbie isn’t the look anymore.

She says it’s more about the confidence in who you are as an individual.

“How confident they are when they walk on stage, I personally would probably wear a one-piece, but it’s all about how you walk, how confident you radiate yourself. I think that’s the most important part,”  said Sparks.

Former contestants also agreed with the statement.

Miss Jackson Katie Hodges says that pageants helped her to become the woman she is today.

“I think this is going to help so many girls tonight as well because they can have that confidence going on out on stage, knowing that they did everything they can to prepare, and that they’re the best version of themselves,” Hodges said.

Hodges also says it’s not about who will, but finding out who you are and loving that person.

“Pageants and judges want you to be yourself. It doesn’t matter if you’re tall, short, anything like that. You get to represent because there is no perfect person. So you being yourself is perfect enough. I think pageants have really taught me that and I know they can teach any young woman that,” Hodges said.

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