By Marilyn Miller
With the end of a record-setting parade for La’Jarius Sneed surrounding them, about 40 friends, family members, and pageant guests gathered upstairs at Geaux Fresh Bistro to watch Miss Louisiana Teen Volunteer Ava Martin model her wardrobe for the upcoming Miss Teen Volunteer America Pageant in Jackson, Tennessee.
The Miss Volunteer America Pageant is a service-oriented scholarship program that seeks to empower young women across the country through educational scholarships and extraordinary opportunities. The five points of the winners’ crowns each stand for “Scholarship,” “Education,” “Responsibility,” “Volunteerism,” and “Empowerment.” Take the first letter of each word, and it spells “Service!”
Ava, the daughter of Devin and Jodi Martin, was crowned Miss Louisiana Teen Volunteer on January 13th, 2024 at Magale Recital Hall in Natchitoches. She represented the Minden and Webster Parish areas as the 2023 Miss Webster Parish Fair Teen Volunteer. She attends Minden High School and is a member of the Christian Church of Minden. She will perform a dance in the talent portion of the competition.
In order to be a contestant in a State Teen Volunteer Pageant, a contestant “must be at least 13 years of age and must not be older than 18 years of age as of the day she competes, is crowned or appointed as the Local or State Titleholder. If a contestant is deemed eligible to participate and either wins a Volunteer local title OR applies and is appointed a Volunteer title to an at-large pageant, her eligibility is then “locked-in” and she will remain eligible through that title’s cycle, not to exceed the National Finals.”
The title of Miss Teen Volunteer America carries with it a $10,000 scholarship, and many other educational opportunities.
Ms. Dustin Gray emceed the style show, which featured Ava in attire for registration, talent, evening gown, interview, after-party, and more. “Ava is everyone’s champion and her heart is for Jesus,” Ms. Gray said, introducing Ava in the outfit that she will wear at registration. A special guest at Saturday’s send-off and style show was Miss Louisiana Volunteer Leanna Lanford of the Alexandria, LA area.
Ava will leave on Tuesday, March 5 to participate in the competition during National Teen Volunteer Pageant Week March 6-9 at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, TN.
