Meeting Miss Volunteer America 2026
JACKSON, Tenn.—Now it’s time to meet the winner the Miss Volunteer America Pageant here in the Hub City.
Saturday night, contestants hit the stage for a final performance downtown at the carl Perkins Civic Center.
Fifty-one contestants competed Friday night in one of the three categories of talent, fitness and wellness, and evening gown.
This years winner is a sophomore at West-Minster University in Salt Lake City, Utah, 19-year-old Lauren Salimbene takes home the crown and the title as Miss Volunteer America 2026.
“My first pageant was in the teen category. I’ve competed in four including Miss Volunteer America. I won my first miss title as Miss Utah Volunteer, to then come win Miss Volunteer America and it has been so sentimental to me, to see the growth that has been possible because again, I am a dancer so I’ve always known that I’ve been physically capable of a lot of things and it wasn’t until I stepped into pageantry that I was realized how mentally capable I truly am,” Salimbene said.
Miss Volunteer America takes home a $50,000 scholarship to pursue her education.
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