Crown In Sight
Two local women vying for title of Miss Arkansas
Two Saline County residents are competing for the title of Miss Arkansas.
The competition for the statewide title is taking place this week at the Robinson Performance Hall in Little Rock.
Jessica Miller, who currently holds the title of Miss Northeast Arkansas, graduated from Bryant High School in 2017. She is pursing a degree at Arkansas State University.
She decided to pursue a degree in social work from her platform for pageants, “SAVE: Suicide Awareness Voices of Education.”
Miller’s platform came from her family’s experience with suicide. She said that suicide is a serious topic that no one wants to talk about.
After learning more about suicide and attending community events, she found her passion for helping others. Miller said she discovered with a social work career she can continue to pursue this passion and help her community for the rest of her life.
With her pageant success, Miller has not yet had to pay anything for her schooling.
“I continue to find myself amazed by the opportunities this organization provides to young women across the state,” Miller said.
For the talent portion of the competition, Miller will performing a tap dance number to the song “Pump It.”
To prepare for the pageant, Miller has been practicing her dance moves at Dancer’s Edge in Benton. She has also practiced talking in front of people for the interview portion and researched up-to-date suicide statistics.
She is excited to compete and isn’t as stressed as she thought she would be.
If she wins the title, Miller said it would be great for her platform and she knows that it could make a difference.
She added that she is proud to represent her hometown at the competition and feels so supported.
The other Saline County competitor, Tiffany Lee, of Benton, participated in her first competition while she was in college.
In ninth grade, she dressed up as “Miss America 2020” for career day so she could wear a crown.
“I never thought I would be competing,” she said.
Lee, who currently holds the title of Miss Ouachita River, is the daughter of Tony and Kelly Lee.
She graduated this year from Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in mass communication and
she is pursuing a career as a news reporter.
Her platform, “Stay Hydrated. Stay Healthy,” was inspired by her experience with chronic dehydration. Because her body cannot retain water properly, she has had to change her habits to stay hydrated.
She decided to share the importance of drinking water and the longterm effects of dehydration.
For the talent portion of the competition, Lee will be performing a tap dance number with a remix of the song “Uptown Funk,” featuring Beyonce.
Along with practicing her dancing and exercising, Lee said she is also preparing for the competition emotionally and mentally.
She has spent time journaling, reading her Bible and taking care of herself.
Both women agree that the Miss Arkansas title is a full-time job.
For a year, the winner is required to travel across the state making appearances and sharing their platform.
Miller said all of the contestants would do a great job representing the state as Miss Arkansas.
The winner also goes on to compete for the Miss America title.