Two former Miss Americas will help select the next Miss Arkansas this week.
The last time a Miss America joined the judges' panel at the pageant was in 2014, when Miss America 2002 Katie Harmon helped crown Miss Arkansas Ashton Campbell, who went on to become second-runner up in the national pageant.
This year, Miss America 1990 Debbye Turner Bell, who was the first Miss America to promote a platform, and Miss America 1994 Kim Aiken Cockerham, who was crowned at the age of 18, have joined the panel of judges.
Bell competed in the Miss Arkansas system three times, twice placing as first runner-up.
After extending her education into veterinarian school, Bell qualified and was crowned Miss Missouri, taking her to the national pageant where she was crowned Miss America 1990.
"After a lot of soul searching, because I really did not want to abandon my home state, I spoke to one of my local directors Ned Metcalf. I was processing with him and was very conflicted," Bell said. "I'll never forget he looked me in the eye and said, 'Do you want to be Miss Arkansas or do you want to be Miss America because those are two different things.' That helped me re-prioritize and decide what my goal was."
For Cockerham, her journey to the Miss America stage was, as both Bell and Cockerham put it, "almost polar opposite." Cockerham was brought into the Miss America circuit after competing in pageants and performing throughout high school. After placing as first runner-up in the Miss Charlotte, N.C., pageant, she returned home to Columbia, S.C., and won Miss Columbia in the high school auditorium where she had graduated the previous year.
"I decided that I would go ahead and do it because I competed in pageants throughout high school. I had the gown. All I had to do is get the bathing suit. I sang all through high school. And I didn't think I would do really well, but I got first runner-up. I was very encouraged and I knew that I wanted to represent my home state," Cockerham said.
After more than 20 years since their reigns as Miss America, Bell and Cockerham have watched the organization and society evolve, showing that the competitors are passionate about their communities. Also, two-piece swimsuits are the selection for the health and fitness portion instead of the former one-piece.
"When I started competing, there was no platform. I happen to be the first Miss America to have a platform. And so that started the era of the state titleholders and Miss America championing a cause, advocating for an issue," Bell said.
"I think that is absolutely fantastic because these women care about their communities and they have points of view and know about issues."
When judging each contestant, instead of researching through social media accounts, Bell and Cockerham stick to the book, interview and their onstage preliminary performances. Contestants submit resumes, platform descriptions and other documents to the judging panel that describe their education, organization involvement, community involvement, previous awards and other accomplishments prior to interview competitions.
"I, as a judge, am looking for what this program stands for: a dynamic, accomplished, passionate young woman who is talented and beautiful as I behold her because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So some of the sensational things are not what I am looking for. I know what this program did for me. It changed my life," Bell said.
"So I know what it can do for these young women whether they become Miss America or not. I am really most concerned about rewarding these young women for their accomplishments and recognizing them for they who they are in our society."
Cockerham said that her state team changed some of her competitions that assisted her in securing the Miss America crown. And though Miss Arkansas is the final pageant prior to the Miss America pageant, scheduled for mid-September, she says Miss Arkansas will have plenty of time for preparations.
"I won Miss South Carolina as one of the last state pageants. Between that time, they changed my talent, all of my clothes. I had interview training. I do think there is potential in all of these contestants if they are open and willing to listen to guidance and willing to put in the work. Six weeks doesn't sound like a lot of time, but it's an eternity if you are pounding the pavement and working hard to better yourself."
After the crown is passed on to the next Miss America, both judges say career goals may change due to new opportunities that have arisen throughout their reign and that anything is possible for each Miss America.
"I think the life after is just the icing on the cake. You work so hard to get the title, to fulfill the job and responsibilities to get the next title, you work to fulfill that job and responsibilities and then after that you basically choose. Really, at that age, the world is yours," Cockerham said.
"Whatever you choose to do, you have the scholarship money if you want to continue your education. You have opportunities. You have met people all across the world and all of the country that know your name and that would not have otherwise," she said.
Local on 07/08/2016