Knoxville nurse competes for national pageant title
Paige Clark, 24, is competing for the title of Miss Volunteer America in Jackson, Tenn.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - For Knoxville’s Paige Clark, the last year has been a whirlwind. She won the title of Miss Tennessee Volunteer in June of 2022. Now, she’s competing for Miss Volunteer America.
As Miss Tennessee Volunteer, Clark shared her love of East Tennessee with people across the state.
“Tennessee has a lot to offer. It’s a very diverse state, and I have loved traveling it and just meeting everyone. I’m a big people person,” Clark said.
Now, she’s hoping to share that love with people across the country.
Clark hasn’t always been a pageant queen. She’s a pediatric nurse at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. In addition, she’s working on her doctorate in nursing from Johns Hopkins University.
Her education is part of what drew her to the pageant world.
“As Miss Volunteer America, you do get a very substantial scholarship towards your education, which is very important to me, since I’m pursuing my doctorate at Johns Hopkins,” she said.
Miss Volunteer America takes home $50,000 in scholarship money.
As Clark competes for the crown, she’s hoping women who watch her on the stage take away one important message.
“I want them to know you don’t have to grow up in pageants to be someone like me, to wear a crown on my head. I didn’t start doing pageants until I was 21, so it is never too late,” she said. “You can be 50 or 60 and still be finding out what you want to do in your life.”
To stream Miss Volunteer America, click here.
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