Miss Volunteer America pageant underway as reigning titleholder reflects on year of service

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Miss Volunteer America pageant is underway, with the reigning titleholder reflecting on her year of service before a new winner is crowned Saturday night.

Lauren Salimbene won last year’s pageant, taking home $50,000 in scholarships. Over the past nine months, she served as brand ambassador for both the Salvation Army and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Through that ambassadorship, Salimbene said she gained opportunities including travel and networking, as well as personal growth.

“I’ve really just got to step into something greater than myself, learn a lot about myself and learn a lot about the parts of world that you really don’t get to see and how much service can really impact your life and so I would like to say Miss Volunteer America, volunteer is not only in the title it’s in the job description, I say that all the time,” Salimbene said.

The pageant is described as a nationwide service-oriented scholarship competition. It is scheduled to conclude Saturday night.

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