Excitement is building as 59 exceptional young women from across the Commonwealth prepare
to compete for about $80,000 in scholarships and the coveted titles of Miss Virginia and Miss
Virginia’s Teen during the 90th anniversary celebration of the Miss Virginia competition. The
event is taking place this week, June 26-28, at the Berglund Center for Performing Arts in
Roanoke. The winners will advance to the Miss America and Miss America’s Teen competition
in Orlando, Florida in September.
Becoming Miss Virginia or Miss Virginia’s Teen involves a process including talent, health and
fitness, evening wear, an interview with judges involving the Community Service Initiative (CSI)
each young woman has developed and an on-stage question to answer. Talent may be a classic
performing arts talent or the “HER Story” option—a 90-second personal story shared on-stage.
Hosted by The Miss Virginia Opportunity, Inc., this historic milestone year features 33 Miss
Virginia contestants (ages 18-28) and 26 Teen contestants (ages 13-17) and also marks a record-
setting year for scholarships awarded.
The Miss Virginia winner receives a $26,000 scholarship; semi-finalists each receive a $1,000
scholarship. Miss Virginia’s Teen wins $5,000. Thanks to the generous support of sponsors and
the Margaret R. Baker Charitable Foundation, Inc., every Miss contestant will receive a
minimum $400 cash scholarship paid directly to their educational institutions.
Several tuition scholarships are also available from Hollins University, Shenandoah University,
the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Appalachian College of Pharmacy,
Sherman College of Chiropractic and the University of Alabama.
The purpose of the Miss Virginia and Miss Virginia Teen competition is to provide unique
opportunities for young women to win financial assistance in the nature of scholarship awards as
a means of achieving their education goals and to create and maintain a system of competition
which will enhance opportunities and produce role models representing positive American
values and to encourage a spirit of volunteerism.
This year’s winners will join a distinguished sisterhood of changemakers, advocates, and
professionals, including four Miss America titleholders from Virginia: Kylene Barker McNeil
(1979), Nicole Johnson (1999), Caressa Cameron Jackson (2010) and Camille Schrier (2020-
2021). These remarkable women exemplify the life-changing potential of the Miss Virginia and
Miss America scholarships.
Contestants arrived in Roanoke on Monday, June 23 for a week of rehearsals and public
appearances. Judging began with private interviews on Wednesday and Thursday, to be followed
by three nights of onstage competitions:
- Preliminaries: Thursday, June 26 & Friday, June 27
- Finals Night: Saturday, June 28
This year’s competition showcases diverse talents, including:
- 22 vocalists performing genres from Broadway to pop
- 16 dancers in styles from Latin ballroom to lyrical and clogging
- Unique acts including trumpet, partner stunts, HER Stories, and a live science
experiment
Miss America 2025, Abbie Stockard, of Alabama, and Miss America CEO Robin Fleming will
attend the anniversary celebration and these specific events:
- Style Show & Luncheon: Abbie Stockard serves as keynote speaker for the sold-
out Margaret R. Baker Charitable Foundation’s Style Show at 12 p.m. on Friday,
June 27 at the Shenandoah Club. Contestants will model red dresses to support the
American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” initiative, a national
scholarship partner. - Crown Luncheon: Robin Fleming, the CEO of the Miss America Opportunity,
will deliver the keynote address at the Miss Virginia Crown Luncheon, 12 p.m.
Saturday, June 28, at Hotel Roanoke. Tickets are still available at
www.missvirginia.org.
Miss Virginia competitors for 2025 include:
- Breanna Hess, Miss Appalachia Mountains, Community Service Initiative (CSI) The
Power of Pulse, Talent Lyrical Dance
- Kira Sledge, Miss Apple Blossom Festival, CSI Bites of Hope, Talent Musical Theatre
- Madison Whitbeck, Miss Arlington, CSI Arts for All, Talent Musical Theatre Vocal
- Nivitha Periyapatna, Miss Blue Ridge, CSI Own Your Health, Talent Kathak-Fusion
Dance
- Abigale Jackson, Miss Cardinal, CSI Pathways to Wellness, Talent Classical Vocal
- Susanna Shedd, Miss Central Virginia, CSI Project HOPE, Talent Classical Cello
- Kelsey Wilson, Miss Chesapeake, CSI Before It’s Too Late, Talent Musical Theatre
Vocal
- Sophia Motl, Miss Chesterfield, CSI Civics Simplified, Talent Musical Theatre Vocal
- Irelin Ruppel, Miss Coastal Virginia, CSI Near and Far, Talent Bluegrass Banjo
- Savanna Holland, Miss Commonwealth, CSI Right Med, Right Bed, Talent Jazz Dance
- Madison Cruz, Miss Fauquier, CSI Speak Up, Stand Strong, Talent Classical Piano
- Karlee Angel, Miss Franklin County, CSI Pets Are Worth Saving, Talent Fashion Design
- Raynah Young, Miss Fredericksburg, CSI Together in Pink, Talent Pop Vocal
- Raina Joy Haynes, Miss Greater Richmond, CSI InHERited, Talent Musical TheatreVocal
- Adriana Myles, Miss Hampton Roads, CSI Serving the Underserved, Talent Tap Dance
- Brielle Phillippe, Miss Hanover County, CSI InspireHERScience, Talent Science Experiment
- Angel Fink, Miss Lake Anna, CSI Aid for Our Heroes, Talent HER Story
- Mary Bellakbira, Miss Lonesome Pine, CSI BRIDGE the Gap, Talent Spoken Word
- Madison Marchant, Miss Loudoun County, CSI InvisABILITY, Talent Clogging
- Alexia Williams, Miss Louisa County, CSI S.T.A.R., Talent Pop Vocal
- Marciana Castillo, Miss Lynchburg, CSI Vital Pathways to Healthcare, Talent Pop Piano/Vocal
- Stephanie Guck, Miss Martinsville-Henry County, CSI The Cupid Project, Talent Original Vocal
- Max Pabilonia, Miss Northern Virginia, CSI 988:3 Numbers that Save Lives, Talent Monologue
- Kishanti Barmoh, Miss Piedmont Region, CSI Mindful Connections, Talent Pop Vocal
- Amanda Wood, Miss Portsmouth Seawall, CSI Blessings Bags, Talent Tap Dance
- Gabriella Mercedes, Miss Powell Valley, CSI The Fourth Pillar Project, Talent HER Story
- Emmeline Soyars, Miss Roanoke Valley, CSI Girls Like Me (focusing on autism awareness and teaching kids the importance of kindness, no matter our differences), Talent Musical Theatre Vocal
- Bethany Mardian, Miss Southside Virginia, CSI Law Made Easy, Talent Ballet
- Isabella Boardwine, Miss Southwest Virginia, CSI When I Wake, Talent Partner Stunt Routine
- Kenzie Kline, Miss Spotsylvania, CSI Label It—Nutrition Literacy, Talent Original Monologue
- Madison Ramsingh, Miss Tidewater Peninsula, CSI Color me B.R.A.V.E and Confident, Talent Baton
- Courtney Forman, Miss Tysons, CSI Courtney’s Book Dive, Talent Musical Theatre Vocal
- Trysten Jackson, Miss Virginia Beach, CSI It’s Heavy: Eating Disorder Awareness, Talent Latin Ballroom Dance
2025 Miss Virginia’s Teen Titleholders include:
- Olivia Burks, Miss Appalachia Mountains’ Teen, CSI Pawsibilities with Liv, Talent Jazz
Dance - Olivia Pacheco, Miss Apple Blossom Festival’s Teen, CSI Heart Health Awareness,
Talent Ballet En Pointe - Caden Spruill-Davis, Miss Arlington’s Teen, CSI Feed to Fuel, Talent Jazz Dance
- Airabella Entsminger, Miss Central Virginia’s Teen, CSI Veteran Group Therapy, Talent
- Skylynn Proffitt, Miss Coastal Virginia’s Teen, CSI The P.O.P. Effect!, Talent Tap
Dance - Aryana Guest, Miss Commonwealth’s Teen, CSI Tiny But Mighty, Talent Lyrical Dance
- Corrine Church, Miss Fauquier’s Teen, CSI Hunger Hurts, Talent HER Story
- Caedyn Riddle, Miss Franklin County’s Teen, CSI Stronger Than Silence, Talent Musical
Theater Vocal - Juliet Lee, Miss Fredericksburg’s Teen, CSI KISS—Kids Inspiring Service in Society,
- Samantha Scott, Miss Greater Richmond’s Teen, CSI Wrapping Our Communities in
Care, Talent Pop Vocal Dance - Leslie Kaiser, Miss Lake Anna’s Teen, CSI Be AWARD, Talent Musical Theatre Dance
- Emma Sykes-Hunt, Miss Lonesome Pine’s Teen, CSI Empowerment with Emma, Talent
HER Story - Lauren Rodgers, Miss Loudoun County’s Teen, CSI KOALA—Kids Overcoming
Adversity with Love and Action, Talent Comedic Dialogue - Alyssa Julian, Miss Louisa County’s Teen, CSI Kids on Call—Bringing Hope into
Hospitals, Talent Musical Theatre Dance - Mary Ashton VanFossen, Miss Lynchburg’s Teen, CSI Now What? Go Red for Women,
Talent Musical Theatre Vocal - Lexie Hovey, Miss Magic City’s Teen, CSI Turning Type One into Type None, Talent
HER Story - Catie Cowsill, Miss Martinsville-Henry County’s Teen, CSI Care with Catie: Childhood
- Julia Allen, Miss Northern Virginia’s Teen, CSI Color the World with Kindness, Talent
Musical Theatre Vocal - Kiara Jackson, Miss Portsmouth Seawall’s Teen, CSI Food for Futures, Talent Lyrical
Dance - Caleigh Barnett, Miss Powell Valley’s Teen, CSI Rhythm and Relief: Food Insecurity
Awareness, Talent Folk Rock Vocal - Makenzie Lucas, Miss Roanoke Valley’s Teen, CSI Educate One, Empower Many:
Human Trafficking Awareness, Talent Musical Theatre Vocal - Cadence Thornsberry, Miss Southside Virginia’s Teen, CSI Positive Reflections: Mental
Health Awareness for Youth, Talent Ventriloquism - Kasey Ball, Miss Southwest Virginia’s Teen, CSI G.I.F.T.—Gifting information for
Trauma, Talent Patriotic Trumpet - Caty Jewell, Miss Spotsylvania’s Teen, CSI Equitable Preschool Education
Opportunities, Talent Jazz Dance - Ella Simpson, Miss Tysons’ Teen, CSI A.C.T.—Acknowledge, Communicate,
Try—Adolescent Mental Health Awareness, Talent Operatic Vocal
Follow the excitement and behind-the-scenes updates on social media on Instagram:
@missamericavirginia and on Facebook at facebook.com/crownmissva.
(photos courtesy of Miss Virginia Opportunity)
