Ebony Mitchell of Harrison looks back on her year as Miss Arkansas

Ebony Mitchell of Harrison will crown her successor as Miss Arkansas June 10 in Little Rock. She says the best advice she received during her reign was "to not take myself too seriously and to make every moment count."

(Courtesy Photo/Miss Arkansas Pageant) — Ebony Mitchell of Harrison will crown her successor as Miss Arkansas June 10 in Little Rock. She says the best advice she received during her reign was "to not take myself too seriously and to make every moment count." (Courtesy Photo/Miss Arkansas Pageant)

Ebony Mitchell's journey to the Miss Arkansas title began with dance lessons when she was just 4 years old, growing up the youngest in a single-parent family in Harrison with brother Caleb, who is one year older, and sister Rasheen, who is two years older.

Ebony was not just a dancer but "played softball in the spring, and in the fall would play baseball on the boys' teams since they never had enough girls in the fall sign up for softball," says her mother, Hulene Ongola. It would never have occurred to her to enter either of her daughters in a pageant, Ongola adds, although she watched the Miss America Pageant every year on TV.

"Then one day Ebony's sister, Rasheen, brought home a flyer from school with information about the fundraiser pageant for Miss North Central Arkansas," Ongola remembers. "Rasheen begged to enter the pageant. That is how it all started. We had no idea what we were doing, but Rasheen had so much fun getting dressed up and walking on the stage that she had to do the next local pageant.

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"Ebony watched Rasheen doing the local pageants and decided she wanted to do them, too. I was surprised because Ebony was so shy, but she made sure she was completely prepared to do her first local pageant, which she won," Ongola adds. "My opinion on pageants has definitely changed since both my daughters started doing them. Ebony is now an accomplished young lady who is confident in her public speaking ability, makes goals for herself and does the work needed to meet these goals. Just an incredible journey."

That journey comes to its inevitable conclusion June 10, when Mitchell will crown her successor at the end of a week of competition at Robinson Performance Hall in Little Rock. We asked Mitchell to reflect on her year, here and in a podcast at nwaonline.com/528missarkansas/

Q. What was the biggest surprise about being Miss Arkansas -- what you couldn't have imagined as a kid?

A. For me, the biggest surprise was the amount of love and outpouring of support from my hometown. As soon as the crown was placed on my head, they showered me with love. I could have never imagined how incredible it would be to be the first Miss Arkansas from Harrison.

Q. What was the moment when you looked around and thought, "Oh my gosh, this is real"?

A. Immediately after I was crowned, I had a visitation that was just for friends and family. When I looked around in the room and saw everyone I loved and cared about, it all started to really sink in.

Q. How do you think your time as Miss Arkansas helped make our state better?

A. Having a diverse Miss Arkansas isn't something that happens all the time. I think being diverse gave me the opportunity to connect with more Arkansans. I also think my platform of online safety has helped to make our state better and safer!

Q. What moment do you wish you could relive before you pass on the Miss Arkansas crown?

A. The moment I went back to visit my old elementary school is one that will live with me forever. I was surprised by my old teachers when I arrived and it was incredibly special.

Q. What was the best advice you got during your reign?

A. The best advice I received was to not take myself too seriously and to make every moment count. You don't realize how quickly the year passes by until it's almost over. Soaking in every moment is what makes the year so special.

Q. What did you learn about yourself?

A. I learned that I can monitor and adjust to just about anything! Ha ha. There have been times where I have given impromptu speeches and done them with ease. I know I will take these lessons with me for the rest of my life.

Q. What is your advice to the young women who want to be Miss Arkansas?

A. My advice is to soak in every moment and make them count. The year goes so quickly, and every person you come in contact with matters. Make them feel seen, heard, and special. It could change their entire life!

Q. What's next for you? And how will your time in the Miss Arkansas system contribute to what's next?

A. Next I will continue on in my professional career, and continue working to make Arkansas a safer place online. The relationships I've gained from the Miss Arkansas Organization are second to none, and I will take them with me forever. I'm so grateful for all I've gained while being Miss Arkansas.

FAQ

Miss Arkansas

Pageant

WHEN -- June 3-10

WHERE -- Robinson Performance Hall in Little Rock

COST -- $159 & up

INFO -- missarkansas.org or ticketmaster.com

FYI

Contestants

Among those competing for the title are these contestants from our circulation area and from pageants in our circulation area:

Apple Blossom -- Kelsie Everett, Springdale, a graduate of the University of Arkansas. Her talent is vocal, and her social impact platform is "Building Better Body Image."

Arkansas Valley -- Katy Beth Dunn of Mountain Home, Ouachita Baptist University; tap dance; "We've Got Your Six: Veteran Mental Health Awareness."

Johnson County -- Tara Ross of Lamar, Arkansas Tech University; flag twirling; "Plus Me, Plus You."

Natural State -- Abigail Davis of Little Rock, University of Arkansas; piano; "A Better Heart for a Better Life."

River Valley -- Callie Scherrey of Fort Smith, UAFS; acro-jazz dance; "Empower to Prevent."

Ozark Highlands -- Kaytlin Dwyer of Springdale, University of Arkansas; Irish dance; "Celebrating Cultures and Empowering Leaders."

Diamond Lakes -- Brooke Bradford of Shirley, University of Arkansas; ventriloquism; "Planting Seeds: The Importance of Agriculture Education."

North Central -- Jayson Toney of Fort Smith, UAFS; jazz dance; "Promoting Media Literacy."

University of Arkansas -- Starling Ledbetter of Fayetteville, UA; vocal; "Aspire to Inspire," focusing on education targeting civility and social inequalities.

Northwest Arkansas -- McKenzie Gomez of Round Rock, Texas, University of Arkansas; baton twirling; "Mental Health Matters."

Texarkana Twin Rivers -- Anna Beth Jeane of Greenbrier, University of Arkansas; vocal; "Overcoming Adversity: Encouraging Youth with Medical Challenges."

Western Arkansas -- Isabella Soto of White Hall, University of Arkansas; lyrical dance; "BEFAST Stroke Awareness."

Dogwood -- Kennedy Holland of Greenwood, OBU; vocal; "Compassion Legacy."

River City -- MaKenzie Williams of Benton, Arkansas State University; jazz dance; "H.O.P.E.: Hunger Oppresses People Every Day."

Mitchell says when she met Eudora Mosby, Miss Arkansas 2004, she was thrilled to finally be able to imagine herself on the Miss America stage. (Courtesy Photo/Miss Arkansas Pageant)