When I was a senior at Dollarway High School, I was ranked second in my class and was recruited by Mr. Lee Hardman and Mr. Carl Whimper to attend the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). I agreed to attend UAPB on a full academic scholarship and was given the nickname “Miss UAPB” by my recruiters. Being a little country girl from one of the most poverty stricken areas of town, I never imagined participating in beauty pageants and becoming a role model. So, when I would visit the recruitment office or see Mr. Hardman and Mr. Whimper on campus I disregarded them when they would say, “You’re going to be Miss UAPB one day.”

During my junior year of college I started to get a feeling. Some may refer to it as a “calling”. I had volunteered to work on campaigns for many Miss UAPB hopefuls and I began to think, “I could see myself doing this.” Subsequently, I had numerous friends and even complete strangers telling me I should run for Miss UAPB and that I would be great at it. So, I decided to try my luck. I attended the interest meetings, prepared for the pageant and by the grace of God, I became a finalist for the title of Miss UAPB.

After all of that, I still didn’t have enough confidence in myself to think that I could win. I kept thinking that no one would vote for this little “ghetto” girl from Dollarway and I didn’t know the first thing about being a queen. I remember getting a phone call out of the blue from an alumnus of Dollarway High School. He spoke words of encouragement to me and was right on time. I don’t even know how he got my phone number, but I have no doubt that God led him to do that.

Needless to say, I won the competition for the title and became the 82^nd Miss University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. I will never forget that experience. During my reign, I completed countless community service activities and impacted many young people in my hometown. Who would have thought that this little girl from Dollarway High School would become a role model for her peers and her community? What made my experience even more unforgettable is that I made lifelong friends who are more like family, my royal court and my advisors. No offense to any other former queens, but we have a bond like no others, and for that, I am very grateful.

So there’s my story! I hope it inspires you and hopefully encourages at least one person to trust God and know that what he has for you is definitely FOR YOU. With all of that being said, the role of Miss University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is a huge blessing, but it also takes a ton of hard work. Please take a moment to support our reigning queen and our incoming queen by clicking the appropriate photo links below.

Thanks for reading!