Darynne Dahlem, a 22-year-old who wants to combat drug addiction by helping young people realize their self worth, was crowned Miss Arkansas 2019 on Saturday night in downtown Little Rock.
Dahlem of Greenwood was visibly shaking with joy as she accepted the crown onstage at the Robinson Center Performance Hall.
Saturday was her fifth time competing in the Miss Arkansas competition, and having come close to winning before, she said she was taken aback when her name wasn't called when the first runner-up was announced.
Growing up, Dahlem said she never would have imagined winning the crown one day.
"I came from a really small town. I was picked on in high school," she said at a news conference after the competition.
Dahlem said she plans to attend medical school and become a physician at Arkansas Children's Hospital. Before that, she will spend her reign as Miss Arkansas working to prevent drug addiction by working with youth, helping them to recognize the first signs of addiction and realize their self worth.
"When children know who they are, they'll never be pressured to be something that they're not," she said.
She pointed to high rates of opioid addiction among teens in the state, and said that Arkansas should be number one for lots of other reasons.
Contestants were judged on a talent, their answers to a question onstage and an evening wear portion where they shared a "social impact statement" on a cause they would promote if crowned.
The questions were submitted by fellow candidates. When asked whether health care should be provided by the government, Dahlem's answer drew a loud round of applause from the audience.
"Health care is a human right. No one should have to feel like they have to decide between living a healthy life and living at all," she said.
For her talent, Dahlem performed the Barbra Streisand song "Somewhere."
The 2019 competition marked the beginning of "Miss America 2.0," after changes from the Miss America Organization. This year's competition was the first without a swimwear portion. Additionally, the event is officially a competition, not a pageant, and the women competing are candidates, not contestants.
The national organization announced the changes in June 2018.
Dahlem said the elimination of the swimwear portion didn't affect her experience much, since she's used to eating healthy in preparation for the competition.
With the award, Dahlem receives a $30,000 scholarship. Each of the 44 candidates received $400. This year's competition awarded $181,300 in scholarship money overall, said host Chris Kane, a KATV anchor.
Dahlem was the winner of the Miss Apple Blossom competition. This year was her last chance to compete in Miss Arkansas before aging out. She said competing in pageants paid for her schooling at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
First runner-up was Laura Leigh Turner of North Little Rock.
Dahlem will compete for the national Miss America title in September. Three Miss Arkansas winners have won the national crown, most recently in 2016 when Savvy Shields Wolfe won the title.
Last year's Miss Arkansas, Claudia Raffo, won an award for community impact at the national competition.
Dahlem said she's most looking forward to being a motivational speaker in schools in the coming year. After struggling with self-doubt and stage fright in the past, Dahlem said she loves public speaking.
Metro on 06/16/2019