by Hanna Singh
A talented Ruston native pageant queen is competing at the Miss America Volunteer competition this summer. Miss Arkansas Volunteer, Anna-Katherine Thompson, will show off her talent on the national stage as she vies for the title of Miss America Volunteer.
A Ruston High School graduate, Thompson has a strong connection to Lincoln Parish. While attending Cedar Creek and RHS, Thompson became highly involved in local leadership, community service, teen pageantry and the arts. She participated in the Cedar Creek theater program and eventually took on roles at the Ruston Community Theater. Between sports, school leadership and volunteerism, Thompson still found time to pursue her love of singing. Starting out by singing the National Anthem at a Cedar Creek football game as a 6th grader, Thompson has now found herself performing in large stadiums including the Savannah Bananas game at the superdome.
Thompson described how her time in Ruston influenced her passions and perseverance in the pageant world.
“I’ve just had such a wonderful village from Ruston and across the parish who have loved me, encouraged me and supported me over the years so much,” Thompson said. “They have always uplifted me even when I didn’t believe in myself. I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without the people from my home supporting me the way that they always have.”
Although Thompson has held many pageant titles over the years, the Miss Volunteer organization is a new venture for her. She became involved last summer after realizing how much the volunteer and service side of pageantry meant to her. The Miss Volunteer organization focuses on 5 pillars of their mission, S.E.R.V.E. Scholarship, education, responsibility, volunteerism and empowerment. These principles each define a part of the competition that competitors like Thompson are encouraged to embody and pursue. For Thompson’s volunteer work, she raises funds to support the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Her own service initiative, P3: Pledging Purple Preemies, supports her mission to raise funds and awareness for the March of Dimes, the world leader in conducting research and raising awareness to decrease preventable premature births and maternal health risk. Through vying for the title of Miss America Volunteer, Thompson hopes to raise more awareness for her cause and fund the organizations through her sponsors.
“This is very important to me because I was born five weeks premature with a grade three cerebral bleed and was in the hospital for 18 days,” Thompson said. “I have been an advocate for the March of Dimes since the age of 13. In that time, I have helped raise thousands of dollars, collect hundreds of blankets blessings and represented Louisiana on the National Collegiate Leadership Council.”
Despite being new to the Miss Volunteer organization, Thompson is not shy to the pageant world. With her mother working as pageant director, she got used to being around the glitz and glam from a young age. Thompson made her debut on the pageant stage while participating in the Mentorship Princess Program from the ages of 5 to 10. She competed for 3 years in the Miss Louisiana Teen pageant and for 5 years in the Miss Louisiana pageant.
Thompson’s mother, Donna Thompson, highlighted what makes her daughter’s journey special and shared her emotions on Thompson’s latest success.
“Watching Anna-Katherine grow through pageantry has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” Donna said. “It has shaped her into a confident and compassionate young woman with a true servant’s heart. That spirit of service has guided so much of her success. The opportunities that she has gained along the way have been incredible; but what means the most is the love and support she’s received from our Ruston community and beyond. We are so proud and excited to see her represent Arkansas on the Miss Volunteer America stage this June.”
Throughout her time in Ruston, Thompson has built many connections and drawn inspiration from former pageant competitors in the area. Former pageant queen, Mette Castor has served as a mentor for Thompson during her time in pageantry. Castor recalled watching Thompson grow up in the spotlight and become more equipped, refined and confident over the years. While preparing for the national stage, Thompson and her team have worked to develop a very intentional approach for the competition. From her music choice to her wardrobe, Castor believes that Thompson will have something special to truly impress the judges.
“I have known Anna-Katherine for her entire life. To see her now, having the opportunity to compete at Miss Volunteer America, is so special,” Castor said. “She is incredibly talented and I’m super excited for her. As an old queen, it’s really so special to impart some of that guidance and hopefully wisdom to younger girls. As I see Anna-Katherine grow as a young woman and a competitor, it’s meaningful because I love her so much. It’s amazing to get to be a part of something like this with her.”
As Thompson prepares to shine on the national stage, she continues to raise awareness and funds for her initiatives, provide leadership in her local communities and inspire young girls to dream big. Watch Anna-Katherine compete this summer at the Miss America Volunteer pageant on June 17-20.
