Miss Tennessee Chandler Lawson will make her first post-Miss America appearance on Saturday night when she returns to her alma mater of Tullahoma High School to emcee The Miss International Dogwood Festival Pageant.
Thirteen Miss and eight Outstanding Teen contestants will be vying for the titles when the pageant begins at 8 ET/7 CT. The winners will be succeeding the 2012 titleholders Genevieve Allen and Courtney Miller respectively and also advance to the state competitions. Tennessee’s Outstanding Teen takes place in March and the Miss Tennessee finals are in June.
Ms. Lawson celebrated her 23rd birthday on Jan. 12, by being the fourth Miss Tennessee in the last five years to finish in the Miss America Top 10 winning $9,000 in scholarships. The incoming University of Tennessee Law School student and UTC graduate was also the first Miss Tennessee to finish in the top three for the coveted Quality of Life Award as she was named second runner-up for exceptional community service. The former Miss Chattanooga started the weekend feeding program 5 Loaves 4 Kids during her junior year at Tullahoma which has provided over 50,000 meals for low income students.
Ms. Lawson accomplished another Tennessee first when she was presented with the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Medal for volunteerism, physical fitness and social skills. Tennessee State Senator Janice Bowling (R) will be making a special presentation to Ms. Lawson during the pageant.
The Dogwood pageant is in its second year and the titleholders will also preside over May’s International Dogwood Festival in Winchester. The pageant was originally slated to be held at Franklin County High School but due to a scheduling conflict the event was relocated to Tullahoma.
Miss Contestants:
Kasi Argo – Grundy County High School
Vocal, “Colors of the Wind”
Platform – Down Syndrome
Erin Nicole Bell – Moore County High School
Spanish Vocal, “Como Le Flor”
Platform—Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Kelsie Hardin – Huntland High School
Dance, “ It’s Tricky”
Platform –Safety in Schools
Melanie Rush – Warren County High School
Dance
Platform –Alzheimer’s Awareness
Teddy Robert – Belmont University
Vocal, “Hurts So Bad”
Platform—Your Own Version of Cool - Good examples to our Youth within Entertainment Industry
Meghan Pittman – Coffee County Central High School
Dance, “Bullet”
Platform – Sarah Spreads the Kaylan Foundation
Catherine Chappell – Motlow State Community College
Vocal, “Reflection”
Platform— 5 Loaves 4 Kids
Farrar Ford – Tullahoma High School
Vocal, “Rolling In the Deep”
Platform - Dancing for Downs
Rachel Robinson – Franklin County High School
Vocal, “Wind Beneath My Wings”
Platform-Warm Hearts for Warm Homes
Angel Garrett – Motlow State Community College
Vocal, “Greatest Love of All”
Platform - A Voice for the Children
Camille Garner – Tennessee Tech University
Piano, “Clocks”
Platform - America’s Tooth Fairy
Kaitlin Lawrence – Warren County High School
Dance, “Shawty Get Loose Lil Mama”
Platform-Be Brave Anti-Bullying Campaign
Abbey Blake – Louisiana Tech University
Vocal, “Fix You”
Platform - Enchanted Entertainment - Finding the Princess Inside
Outstanding Teen Contestants:
Kayla Smith – Franklin County High School
Dance, “I Wanna Be a Rockette”
Platform - Alzheimer’s Disease
Victoria Neal- Huntland High School
Vocal, “Colors of the Wind”
Platform - Pancreatic Cancer Awareness
Jenetta Wright- North Middle School
Dance, “Sail”
Platform - Stop the Hate
Madison Rhoton- South Middle School
Dance, “The Way You Make Me Feel”
Platform-Raising Bullying Awareness in Schools
Sarah Pittman – Coffee County High School
Dance, “Circus”
Platform - 5 Loaves 4 Kids
Kelsey Lawrence-Warren County High School
Dance, “Turning Tables”
Platform - Breast Cancer Awareness
Mica Willis – Coffee County High School
Tribal Fusion Dance, “Death by Blonde”
Platform – FEAST: Farm, Education & Awareness for a Secure Tennessee
Andrea Fisher-Coffee County High School
Hula Hoop, “Yea 3 Times”
Platform - Victory Junction Gang