Preliminary Winners Announced at Night One of Miss Volunteer America Pageant

Miss Oregon Volunteer Sophia Takla & Miss North Carolina Volunteer Emma Katherine Warren Tie for Talent honors; Miss Illinois Volunteer, Nicole Taylor Fitness & Wellness

Preliminary competitions continue nightly with Final Crowning on Saturday, June 20, All events are streaming live at MissVolunteerAmerica.net.

L-R: Preliminary winners from Night One of the Miss Volunteer America Pageant take center stage at the historic Carl Perkins Civic Center. Miss Oregon Volunteer, Sophia Takla (left), earned the Talent Preliminary Award, Miss Illinois Volunteer, Nicole Taylor (center), received the Fitness & Wellness Preliminary Award and a $500 scholarship sponsored by Morgan Morgan Fitness, and Miss North Carolina Volunteer, Emma Katherine Warren (right), also earned the Talent Preliminary Award, as the two tied for the honor on Wednesday, June 17. Photo by Sheldon Smith Photography for Miss Volunteer America.

*Click here for HIGH-RES PHOTOS*

JACKSON, Tenn. (June 17, 2026) – The Miss Volunteer America Pageant kicked off on Wednesday, June 17, with an exciting first night of preliminary competition at the historic Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, Tennessee. Preliminary winners were announced in two key categories: Fitness & Wellness and Talent.

Miss Illinois Volunteer, Nicole Taylor, was awarded the Fitness & Wellness Preliminary Award, earning a $500 scholarship generously sponsored by Morgan Morgan Fitness. Our official Fitness & Wellness sponsor provides each preliminary Fitness & Wellness winner with a $500 scholarship, with the award given out each night of preliminary competition.
Miss Oregon Volunteer, Sophia Takla, and Miss North Carolina Volunteer, Emma Katherine Warren, tied for the Talent Preliminary Award honors, each earning a $500 scholarship. Our official Talent sponsors, Chris Chambers, National Judges Chairperson, and Scott Hilburn, Chief Administrative Supervisor of Miss Volunteer America, generously donate these scholarship awards to our preliminary Talent winners each night.

Preliminary competitions continue nightly through Friday, June 19, leading up to the final competition and crowning on Saturday, June 20. Fans can stream all events live at www.MissVolunteerAmerica.net.

Follow along and join the conversation:
Instagram: @missvolunteeramericapag
Facebook: @missvolunteeramerica

Miss Illinois Volunteer, Nicole Taylor, celebrates her Wednesday, June 17, Night One win at the Miss Volunteer America Pageant at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, Tennessee, receiving the Fitness & Wellness Preliminary Award and a $500 scholarship sponsored by Morgan Morgan Fitness. Photo by Sheldon Smith Photography for Miss Volunteer America.

*Click here for HIGH-RES PHOTOS*

Miss Oregon Volunteer Sophia Takla & Miss North Carolina Volunteer Emma Katherine Warren celebrate their Wednesday, June 17 Night One tie for the Talent Preliminary Award and a $500 scholarship at the Miss Volunteer America Pageant, held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, Tennessee. Photo by Sheldon Smith Photography for Miss Volunteer America.
*Click here for HIGH-RES PHOTOS*

ABOUT MISS VOLUNTEER AMERICA:
Miss Volunteer America is a national scholarship pageant founded by Allison DeMarcus—entrepreneur, television personality, former Miss Tennessee, and wife of Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus. With a vision to uplift and empower young women, DeMarcus created the organization to champion academic excellence, servant leadership, and personal development through a values-driven competition platform. The pageant emphasizes the importance of education, integrity, character, and volunteerism, and provides significant scholarship opportunities to its participants. Titleholders and contestants dedicate countless hours to community service while preparing to become tomorrow’s leaders. Miss Volunteer America continues to grow as a meaningful movement for young women across the country.

Learn more at www.missvolunteeramerica.net.