Two from Gravette compete in Miss Arkansas pageant
GRAVETTE — Two girls with Gravette ties will be contestants in the 2017 Miss Arkansas pageant this weekend. Profiles of the contestants show that Ashton Yarbrough and Megan McAfee both list Gravette as their hometown.
Yarbrough, 20, will be competing as Miss Heart of the Ozarks. Her platform, Passion to Action, focuses on volunteering. Ashton’s talent will be a vocal performance of “Open Arms.” She is a student at the University of Arkansas, majoring in elementary education. Her parents are Kimberly and Brian Yarbrough.
McAfee, also 20, is competing as Miss Conway. Her platform, So the World May Hear, advocates changing the world for the deaf and hearing impaired. Megan will do a vocal and piano performance of “Another Day of Sun.” She is a student at the University of Central Arkansas.
During the arrival ceremonies, the Miss Arkansas Interview Scholarship winners were announced. A separate panel of local professionals who excel in their chosen field interviewed applicants in May at the contestant meeting. These interviews were designed to be like a job interview and contestants were scored on their experience and potential in their chosen field. This is the first year these awards were given as an opportunity for the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Foundation to further promote their mission of empowering young women to achieve their academic and professional goals.
Ashton Yarbrough received the $1,500 Education Professions Scholarship in memory of Marty Walker by Chris Walker and Family. She would like to obtain a master’s degree in educational leadership and run for public office.
Miss Arkansas contestants are competing in preliminary competitions June 13 through 15 in Little Rock and will participate in a parade Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The parade route will be down Center Street to the Old State House Convention Center.
The pageant finals will be held in the newly renovated Robinson Performance Hall in downtown Little Rock. KATV Channel 7 and the Miss Arkansas Pageant Board have announced the pageant will be broadcast live on KATV Saturday night at 7 p.m. This will mark the first time the pageant has been televised in the event’s 80-year history. The winner will walk away with a $30,000 scholarship, the largest in the pageant’s history, plus more than $75,000 in prizes. Each of the contestants will receive a $400 scholarship just for competing this week.
Channel 7 Daybreak anchor Chris Kane and Miss Arkansas 2009 Sarah Slocum Collins will serve as emcees for the three-hour live broadcast. The show will include the talent showcase, swimsuit and evening gown competition and interviews and will end with the crowning of Miss Arkansas 2017. The broadcast will also be streaming live on KATV. com and the KATV Facebook page.