Kailey Duffy, a junior nursing major at the University of Tennessee at Martin, became Miss UT Martin 2020, and Miura Rempis, a student from Middle Tennessee State University, became Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival 2020 during the combined scholarship pageant held Oct. 26 in the UT Martin Russell Duncan Ballroom. The pageant is cosponsored by the university and the city of Martin.

Duffy, from Holladay, attends classes at the UT Martin Parsons Center and wore the Miss Greater Weakley County crown this past year. Her platform, “U Fit N,” is about her personal adoption story and a drive to help people of all backgrounds find a sense of belonging. Rempis, an Antioch resident, is a political science major at MTSU studying pre-law. Her platform is “The Power of Civic Engagement,” which encourages citizens of all ages to become educated about the roles they play in their communities.

The Miss UT Martin titleholder must be either be a current full-time UT Martin student or a UT Martin graduate currently earning an additional degree at another Tennessee institution. The Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival titleholder must either be a Tennessee resident or a full-time student at a Tennessee institution.

Both winners will compete in the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Scholarship Pageant next June in Jackson. The winner of the Miss Tennessee Volunteer title will serve as the governor’s spokesperson for character education and as an ambassador for Tennessee’s Children’s Miracle Network hospitals.

Amanda Mayo, a junior from Lilburn, Georgia, and Tera Townsend, a student from SAE Institute Nashville, served as Miss UT Martin 2019 and Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival 2019, respectively.

The UT Martin court includes Peyton Ross, a UT Martin freshman from Caruthersville, Missouri, as first maid and Nicole Quenon, a UT Martin freshman from Medina, as second maid. The Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival court includes Addi Poole, a Murray State student, as first maid and Jendiya Mattison, a student at Austin Peay State University, as second maid.

For more information on either title, contact Katrina Cobb, pageant director, at <a href="mailto:kcobb@wljt.org">kcobb@wljt.org</a> or 731-881-7561.

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