Karlie Roser, Miss Jackson, and Cassidy Sheppard, Miss Dyersburg, will compete for the 2014 title of Miss Tennessee, which is part of the Miss America Organization.
Roser, a senior nursing major, has competed in pageants since 2007. She competed last fall in Miss Jackson, a preliminary pageant for Miss Tennessee, and won.
She said she is busier than ever balancing nursing school and studying, training for Miss Tennessee, working as a Kappa Delta Panhellenic representative and attending various fundraisers and appearances as Miss Jackson.
“To balance all of these things takes determination and the willingness to say no sometimes, which is something I have had to learn to do,” she said.
Roser is thrilled to take on her responsibilities as Miss Jackson.
“The hardest part of competing in pageants is the preparation for the pageant,” she said.
Roser has a physical trainer and a voice coach who helps her prepare for the actual competition.
In addition, she raises funds for her community service program.
Her platform is, “Let’s Get Physical: Promoting Youth Fitness.” She will be hosting fundraisers throughout her reign as Miss Jackson to promote youth fitness in the Jackson community.
Sheppard, a sophomore marketing major, has competed in pageants since 2010 and won Miss Dyersburg 2014.
She said she balances training for Miss Tennessee, school, working or the Athletic Department at Union, choreographing a dance for Zeta Tau Alpha’s Variety Show performance, and making appearances and fundraising for Miss Dyersburg.
“I just have to use every minute wisely so I don’t fall behind, but it’s doable,” Sheppard said.
In addition, Sheppard mentors youth at the Hub Club, which is an after-school tutoring and mentoring program for children in the Hillcrest and Hartland apartment complexes in Jackson. She has adopted mentoring as her official platform while serving as Miss Dyersburg.
“What I have learned through mentoring and community development has impacted my life,” she said. “I plan to bring that life-changing experience to Dyersburg and hopefully to the state of Tennessee.”
Sheppard will dedicate time to training for the pageant and to being a mentor to children in the Dyersburg and Jackson areas.
The two will make an appearance March 4 at IHOP for National Pancake Day, when IHOP serves free pancakes all day. Donations are accepted which benefits Children’s Miracle Network, the national platform of Miss America.
IF YOU GO
The Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant will be held June 18-20 at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson. For tickets, logon to misstennessee.org and download the ticket form. Floor seats for the entire week are $80 and balcony seats for the week are $60. Individual night tickets also will be available beginning the Monday of the pageant.
