Miss Arkansas Loren McDaniel says farewell

As her reign came to a close Saturday night with the crowning of Miss Arkansas 2016, Miss Arkansas 2015 Loren McDaniel left behind a lasting impression on the Miss Arkansas organization with her platform and a new scholarship.

"The perfect word to describe how I feel at the end of my year is fulfilled. My mission is fulfilled as Miss Arkansas and my heart is just full," McDaniel said in an interview before the final night of competition.

During her reign as Miss Arkansas, McDaniel established a scholarship based on her platform "Confidently You" and awarded two contestants, Miss Ouachita River Samantha Hudon and Miss Lights of the Delta Jennifer Ulloa, each with a $500 scholarship. She plans to stay involved with the Miss Arkansas organization like so many titleholders before her.

"I want them to know that I am not even out of the door yet and I am reinvesting in this scholarship organization because the empowerment and education of young women is so important and vital to make a difference in this country," McDaniel said.

September holds a new chapter for McDaniel as she sets off for graduate school in New York City to pursue a degree in performance at the Stella Adler Conservatory. Thanks to the scholarships she received when crowned Miss Arkansas, McDaniel was able to crunch numbers to figure out she was able to go to graduate school without taking out student loans.

"It was when I got back from Miss America that I crunched the numbers and realized that dream was going to be made possible by this organization and the scholarships I received. So I connected my dots and was able to get into that school there," McDaniel said. "They remembered exactly who I was from my previous audition and it was just as if that was the way it was supposed to be. It was as if it was my turn to be Miss Arkansas. Door after door was opened."

After completing school in approximately three years and pursuing a performance career, McDaniel anticipates returning to Arkansas to start her own studio for children with acting and singing lessons. She has not set out a specific location or town as of yet for her studio, but will focus on what community needs are.

"If there is a need in the arts for a certain community, then I will meet that need. It is where children are needing that aspect of performance and interaction and how to express themselves because that is an outlet for children," McDaniel said. "That is what I want my studio and my dream to be. Music and theater can be a healing outlet and allow children to express themselves and come out of their shells so they can figure out who they are."

To the new Miss Arkansas, McDaniel recommends "take a deep breath and realize that that crown never comes off of your head. So every fiber of your being you have to know who you are before that crown goes on your head and remain true to who that is for you throughout the year. You are going to meet a ton of people that want to be Miss Arkansas and have not met her before and you have to be yourself, to be authentic and remain true to who you are throughout the year because it is a long year. You have to be real. So take a deep breath and remember to be the same person you were when the crown was put on your head."

Since Miss Arkansas was the final pageant to crown a new titleholder, Miss America required the new Miss Arkansas and other state titleholders to fly to Washington, D.C., today.

"It was the best, most stressful and most rewarding experience I think I could have started my year as Miss Arkansas with. I never as a little girl really knew what it meant to go to Miss America. I knew that obviously Miss America was someone I looked up to, but I never thought of how you got there. It was just so crazy to think once I was up there that it was an obtainable goal for me. Watching as a little girl, watching Miss America, now I was on the stage that I had looked up to the women who grace the stage with their presence for so long that now I was one of them. So it was very rewarding and humbling to know that I had made it to that level of competition," McDaniel said.

In October, through a partnership with Verizon, McDaniel assisted in the promotion of a "hope line" for domestic violence victims. Donated used cellphones provided victims with the capability to contact for help. She also used her platform to speak to elementary students on how to be self-confident.

"So I am leaving just so excited for the new Miss Arkansas because I feel if you aren't ready to give up the crown then maybe you didn't give it everything you had," McDaniel said. "I can honestly say I gave it everything I had and I gave this job every part of my being."

Local on 07/10/2016

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