Pageant crowns 2 Texas-side winners
Two young women from Texarkana, Texas, took home the Texas-side crowns Saturday night at the Miss Texarkana Twin Rivers Pageant. Jasmine Bruce was named Miss Texarkana while Rachel Johnson was selected to represent the Miss Twin Rivers title for 2018. Not only are both from Texarkana, but they have also both attended Pleasant Grove High School, where the pageant was held at the Performing Arts Center.
Arkansas-side titles and the Outstanding Teen titles for Miss Texarkana and Miss Twin Rivers were awarded back in August, and now the two new winners will complete a full roster of local titleholders for this summer’s Arkansas and Texas state pageants.
The two new titleholders were named as the winners in specific categories, too: Johnson for swimsuit and Bruce for interview. Carrie Herring was named third runner-up, Madison Prince as second runner-up and Alyssa Beaupré as first runner-up.
Bruce, 19, now attends the University of Arkansas, where she cheerleads for the Razorbacks as a freshman.
“This means everything to me. I’ve been working for this so hard for so many years. I finally broke my first runner-up curse, so I’m absolutely ecstatic,” she said just minutes after being crowned Miss Texarkana.
Apart from one pageant, Bruce had been first runner-up for every pageant she’s ever done, but not Saturday night.
Her platform is Act Fast: Stroke Prevention and Awareness. The inspiration was personal.
“My grandma actually had a stroke around this time last year, so it really left an impression on me, how important it is for people to be aware of strokes and how they affect you …
and also how to prevent them because there are ways to prevent strokes,” Bruce said.
Her major is political science, and after earning a degree in that she aims to attend law school. Her talent was a contemporary dance, which she does as a mix between lyrical and jazz.
Johnson, 17, attends Pleasant Grove High School as a senior. She even had friends working in the theater department the night of the pageant.
“I live on this stage, so to be honored with this title on a stage that I call home is amazing,” Johnson said about being named Miss Twin Rivers. Her talent is tap dancing because, as she put it, she wanted to “show a little fire” on stage.
“I was so excited. When they called Jasmine’s name I knew that I had a really good sister queen. I actually crowned her as Miss Pleasant Grove last year. We have a really good history,” Johnson said.
Her platform is called Starts With You. She believes self-empowerment is important, and she’s excited to share her personal story of dealing with bullying and harassment during her middle school years. Getting involved in pageants helped her become comfortable in her own skin, she said, and it’s a message she wants to share with others.
Awards for both the Miss Texarkana and Miss Twin Rivers titles include an official crown, banner, flowers, scholarships, a wardrobe allowance and in-kind scholarships from several local and regional colleges and universities.
On Saturday morning, Little Miss winners were crowned. Those winners are as follows: Keeley Jungers for Baby Miss Texarkana, Addilyn Crow for Tiny Miss Texarkana, Rhetlee Scurlock for Tiny Miss Twin Rivers, Leighton Jackson for Mini Miss Texarkana, Kate Narens for Mini Miss Twin Rivers, Bella Bunger for Petite Miss Texarkana, Chloe Henderson for Petite Miss Twin Rivers, Madalynne Owens for Little Miss Texarkana, Zoie Bennett for Little Miss Twin Rivers, Bella Elliott for Young Miss Texarkana, Kaitlyn Clark for Junior Miss Texarkana, Lennon Grace Wells for Junior Miss Twin Rivers, Mattie Campbell for Pre-Teen Miss Texarkana and Shelby Ross for Pre-Teen Miss Twin Rivers.
Michelle Parham Rudolph once again served as emcee for the festivities, regaling the audience with an a capella version of “Amazing Grace.”
( On the Net: MissTexarkanaTwinRivers.org.)