June 15, 2007
Contact: Rita Mitchell , University Relations
UT Martin's DeSantis, Waddell and Cole ready for Miss Tennessee Pageant
MARTIN, Tenn. – Selena DeSantis, 2007 Miss University of Tennessee at Martin, and Kara Waddell, 2007 Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival, will join contestants from across the state in the Miss Tennessee Pageant finals at 7:30 p.m., June 23, at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson.
Also vying for the crown in this year’s pageant is Miss Fall Fest Tennessee, Jordan Cole, a UT Martin junior from Martin.
“The contestants will have their first official Miss Tennessee duty Sunday at the Old Hickory Mall in Jackson with a meet-and-greet session. The public is encouraged to attend. The Miss Tennessee Program books will be available for purchase and all contestants will spend time signing autographs and visiting with their fans,” said Lynn Gibson, Miss UT Martin/Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival director. “Preparing for the entertainment part of the pageant will come first. Pageant preliminaries will begin Wednesday night as they get ready for the Saturday night finals. It would be great to see all three girls progress to the Saturday night event.”
DeSantis, a 2007 UT Martin graduate from Martin, will perform a vocal selection. Her first public vocal performance was at the Miss UT Martin/Miss Soybean Festival Pageant last November. DeSantis’ platform is “organ donor awareness.” She has focused on fitness training, keeping up with current events and developing her vocal talent in preparation for the Miss Tennessee Pageant.
“I was so excited, because this is something that I’ve always dreamed about,” said Waddell, a UT Martin junior from Mason, after winning the Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival crown. Now, as a competitor for the crown, she will focus on her vocal talent and also prepare for the pageant’s on-stage interview, which she described as “the most nerve-racking” portion of the pageant. Her platform is support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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