As the scent of fall begins to breeze through Tennessee, the Miss UT Martin Volunteer Pageant works its predictable charm, prepping for yet another round of poised presentations and eloquent interview answers. This year's event, set for 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14, promises a blend of beauty, brains, and aspirations as eleven students vie for the coveted crown at the Phillip W. Watkins Auditorium, per details from an announcement by the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Ticket sales, those necessary evils of event planning, are to occur on-site, sure to be snapped up by family, friends, and patrons of the pageant scene. Adding to the usual fanfare are the appearances of reigning Miss UT Martin Volunteer, Kayla Mick – a fine and performing arts aficionado – and Maggie McClendon, your typical engineering grad turned pageant queen, both of whom will dutifully pass on their bejeweled headgear to the new titleholders, their tenure as polished ambassadors of poise and scholarship drawing to an elegant close.
Fans of the pageantry sphere may well remember Meghan Poore, a marketing wiz from Medina who snagged the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant crown last July, a feat that the competitors of these two local pageants, part of a larger statewide network of over 30 competitions, might see as a stepping stone to their own larger ambitions. The winners here will step onto the state stage come next year in Jackson, according to the university's report.
This year marks yet another iteration of UT Martin's commitment to blending tradition with forward-thinking accomplishment, for while the pageant is steeped in the customs of charm schools and runway walks it also boosts the profile of young women aiming for impact beyond the stage lights, be it in arts or engineering; a trend we’ve seen unfold over years, a testament to the evolving nature of these contests, as per the university's press release.
