Miss Maryland wins Miss Teen Volunteer America in pageant's third year
In the Miss Teen Volunteer America pageant's third year, Miss Maryland Anna Grace Loudenbeck took home the crown on Saturday night.
A member of the St. Jude Leadership Society and a freshman at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, Loudenbeck made it to the final five of the night before winning a $10,000 scholarship and the crown.
PHOTOS: The 2025 Miss Teen Volunteer Pageant kicks off in Jackson, Tenn
Miss Teen Volunteer America comes as Loudenbeck's fifth pageant since she began competing in February 2022.
She says there is much to accomplish in the upcoming year as a titleholder, but promoting the program and all that it has to offer is among her top priorities.
"I would love to continue being just a walking advertisement of this organization," she said.
"For me as a personal titleholder, my thing has always been authenticity, so I would like to continue sharing that because I would love not only to just grow the Volunteer [pageant] but to grow pageants in general."
In addition to personal interviews, scoring is based on three categories each worth 25%: health and fitness, talent, and evening gown.
In the question portion before the crowning, each contestant randomly chooses a question to answer before the judges and attendees.
Loudenbeck was asked how she has recruited other young women to participate in her state pageant program.
She says that she tries to convey that pageants "are more than just pretty gowns."
"A lot of people think that pageants have a certain stereotype about women that's not necessarily true," she said.
"I made it my mission in high school and going into college to prove them wrong, that pageants are more than pretty gowns and you can be a smart independent woman."
Sherri Hill, a presenting sponsor for the pageant, made the dress that Loudenbeck was crowned in on Saturday, and coincidentally, was the same gown she wore in the first pageant she competed in.
"I think by letting other girls know that with authenticity, you don't have to be perfect, you don't have to be a pageant girl, you can just go in and be yourself and that's really important to me and that's what I'd really love to communicate with the audience this year," Loudenbeck said.
Sarah Best is a reporter for the Jackson Sun.
This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Miss Maryland takes Miss Teen Volunteer crown in Jackson, Tenn.
