Miss Jackson wins Miss Tennessee’s Outstanding Teen

March 10, 2018 Amanda Gerry

JACKSON, Tenn. — 35 contestants from across Tennessee came to the Carl Perkins Center to compete for the title of Miss Tennessee’s Outstanding Teen.

“The young lady who wins tonight will represent the entire state of Tennessee at Miss America’s Outstanding Teen,” said pageant co-executive director Allison Demarcus.

Before the show, WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News Reporter Amanda Gerry spoke to Autumn Arsenault, Miss Tennessee’s Outstanding Teen 2017.

“I’m super sad. This has been a crazy journey. I started when I was 14. Now I’m 17. I’ll be a senior this year, so it’s been incredible. I’ve grown as a person through this system, but I’m also excited for the new winner. I can not wait to find out who she is,” said Arsenault.

The pageant included many competitions similar to the Miss Pageant.

“They’re going to compete in fitness, and then they’ll compete in on stage question, evening gown, and the talent competition,” Demarcus said.

Organizers say the pageant is a good way to encourage women to start giving back at a young age.

“It allows women the opportunity to start their platform work and really start a wonderful foundation in a community service project that they love,” said Demarcus.

Autumn says her platform is spreading the joy of music through music education and music therapy.

“So I teach four students a week, and I go to hospitals and nursing homes, playing for the patients there, because I love seeing how music can heal,” Arsenault said, “because it really does.”

Saturday’s pageant also included the unveiling of this year’s Miss Tennessee contestants.

“The 37 young women who are going to compete for the title of Miss Tennessee in June are here. They’re going to walk across the stage and introduce themselves,” said Demarcus.

The winner of Saturday’s pageant was Miss Jackson, Mary Humphrey. She will not only go on to compete in the state wide Miss Tennessee Outstanding Teen Pageant, but she also walked home with one thousand dollars in scholarship money.

As for Autumn, she says she has accepted a full ride to the University of Alabama where she plans to major in music therapy.

The Miss Tennessee 2018 pageant will be June 20th to the 23rd, also at the Civic Center in Jackson.

http://www.wbbjtv.com/2018/03/10/miss-jackson-wins-miss-tennessees-outstanding-teen/