Ebony Mitchell, a 25-year-old graduate student from Harrison, took the Miss Arkansas 2022 title on Saturday night in Little Rock.
The outgoing Miss Arkansas, Whitney Williams, crowned Mitchell as she received a bouquet of red roses, confetti fell and the other 40 candidates rushed to congratulate her onstage at Robinson Center.
“A Responsible Digital You” is Mitchell’s social impact initiative, the cause she will further during her year as Miss Arkansas.
“It’s all about being safe online and teaching Arkansas children, especially, how to be safe,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell won the Miss Dogwood pageant in November to qualify for the state competition. She had also competed at Miss Arkansas 2021 and finished as the first runner-up to Williams. She is a 2019 graduate of University of Central Arkansas and is currently pursuing a Masters of Business Administration with an emphasis in Health Administration from John Brown University.
The maximum age for Miss Arkansas candidates is 24. However, the would-be candidates for the 2020 competition, which was postponed because of covid-19, received an extra year of eligibility. After this year, Mitchell said she would have aged out of the scholarship competition, and she hopes her legacy as Miss Arkansas will be one of grace, impact and resilience.
“I want people to remember me as the Miss Arkansas that provided everyone with a smile, that could talk to anyone and that can make anyone feel like they are valued, capable and seen,” she said.
The 10 finalists, named at the beginning of the Saturday finals, competed in onstage question, talent and evening wear segments throughout the night.
Mitchell answered a question from Miss Steel Capital, Piper Stallings, during the onstage interview portion. When asked her thoughts on “cancel culture,” she said she doesn’t believe that by making mistakes, a person should be “canceled forever.” “I believe in forgiveness, and I believe in giving second chances,” Mitchell said. “I would love to see cancel culture come to an end in our lifetime.” During the talent or artistic expression segment, candidates showed their skills ranging from playing the fiddle to acrobatic jazz. Mitchell competed with an energetic tap dance to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” including elements of gymnastics that received applause from the packed crowd. As she finished her dance performance, friends and family members cheered and held up signs with her face.
The Miss Arkansas Scholarship Foundation is the nonprofit organization which raises funds for the competition. As the next Miss Arkansas, Mitchell will receive a $30,000 scholarship. The foundation awarded every Miss Arkansas candidate $400. In total, this year’s competition awarded $167,300 in scholarships.
Coming from a single-mother home, Mitchell said she once believed it would be impossible for her to attend college. She said her participation in the scholarship competition over the years has allowed her to pursue both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Mitchell will compete at the Miss America pageant in Connecticut in December. Three Miss Arkansas title holders have won the national competition. Most recently, Savvy Shields Wolfe won the title in 2016.
Sydney Wendfeldt, a 26-year-old from Mountain Home, was the Miss Arkansas 2022 first runner-up.
Miss Dogwood, Ebony Mitchell of Harrison, is crowned as Miss Arkansas during the pageant Saturday night at the Robinson Center in Little Rock. More photos at arkansasonline.com/619missark/. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)
