Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University was well represented at the 2018 Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant with six current Ouachita students receiving a combined total of more than 20 awards during the competition and earning more than $25,000 in scholarships.

Among the top winners was Miss White River Gracie Stover of Little Rock, a junior communications and media major at Ouachita, who was named third runner-up. The 81st Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant was held June 16 at the Robinson Center in Little Rock.

Five of the top 15 contestants were from Ouachita, including Miss Arkansas Valley Mady Rottinghaus and Miss Southwest Arkansas Julie Williams who finished in the top 10 and Miss Greater Hot Springs Tiffany Lee and Miss Texarkana Twin Lakes Kyla Soden who finished in the top 15. Miss Ouachita Baptist University Emma Pitts also was honored with several awards and Miss Ouachita River Kathryn Barfield, a 2017 Ouachita graduate from Little Rock, also competed in the pageant.

Stover, who received a $6,000 scholarship for her third runner-up finish, also received the $1,250 Sharon Evans Bale “We Are More” Award based on community service and platform, the $1,000 Miss America Community Service Award, a $1,000 Service Above Self Scholarship, a $500 Loren McDaniel “Confidently You” Scholarship and a $500 second place Asher Ray CMN Miracle Make Award for a total of $10,250 in scholarships.

Rottinghaus and Williams each received $3,000 scholarships for finishing as top 10 semi-finalists.

Mady Rottinghaus

Rottinghaus, a sophomore biology and Spanish double major from Hot Springs, also received the $1,000 Diversity Award.

Julie Williams

Williams, a senior mass communications and political science double major from Arkadelphia, received the $1,000 Overall Alpha Interview Award, the $650 Ashlen Batson Espirit De Corp Award, the $500 Alpha Arrival Award and the $500 Alpha Interview Award for the Alpha Group.

Tiffany Lee

Lee, a senior mass communications major from Benton, and Soden, a junior biology major from Cabot, each received $1,500 scholarships for finishing among the top 15 contestants. Lee also received the $500 Healthy Lifestyle Platform Award and the $500 Mary Jane Mullins Non-Finalist Interview Award.

Emma Pitts

Miss OBU Emma Pitts, a junior music education major from Clarksville, won three talent awards: the $1,000 Frances Wilson Non-Finalist Overall Talent Award, the $500 Melonie McGarrah Overall Vocalist Award and the $500 Non-Finalist Vocal Award.

 

June 19, 2018