Hannah Robison
From the Scenic City to Atlantic City, Hannah Robison has already made Miss Tennessee history at the Miss America Pageant and the competition doesn’t begin until next week.
The former Miss Scenic City became the first Miss Tennessee to be named a finalist for both the Miss America STEM Scholarship and the Jean Bartel (Miss America 1941) Quality of Life for Community Service Awards in the same year at the finale of Tuesday’s Arrival Ceremony on the famed Boardwalk where the 52 contestants made their first public appearance in Atlantic City. The ceremony is the kickoff to the pre-pageant activities that will lead up to next week’s three preliminary rounds starting on Tuesday and concluding next Sunday evening when The Bachelor’s Chris Harrison announces the name of the 95th Miss America in the final moments of the ABC broadcast (WTVC NewsChannel 9 starting at 9 p.m.).
The 21-year-old Paris native whose family owns the Buchanan Resort on Kentucky Lake is one of eight finalists for the five STEM scholarships valued at $5,000 each and is awarded to contestants pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Miss Robison is a senior Chemistry major at the University of Tennessee at Martin and her career goal is to obtain her PhD and eventually teach Organic Chemistry at the university level. She is the UTM representative to the West Tennessee STEM Hub, a General Chemistry Recitation Leader and the recipient of the UTM Chancellor’s Ambassador Award.
Prior to becoming Miss Tennessee in June and the third Scenic City Pageants entrant to win the title in four years, she created the STEM Day at Children’s Miracle Network (Hospitals) program which enables her to visit patients at the five state CMN affiliates including Chattanooga’s Children’s at Erlanger where they perform science experiments in the playroom.
Miss Robison is also heavily involved in community service in promoting her platform of Arthritis Awareness as five members of her family have contracted the inflammatory joint disorder. As the Philanthropy Chair for the UTM chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority whose national platform is the Arthritis Foundation she created the first “Attack Arthritis Week” on campus which resulted in $5,500 in donations. She has also raised over $20,000 through other events including a Fish Fry, a Cut-A-Thon and participation in the national Jingle Bell 5K Run.
She is among the eight finalists for the Quality of Life Award and is the fourth Miss Tennessee and the third locally affiliated nominee joining Chattanooga’s Chandler Lawson (2012), Soddy-Daisy’s Stefanie Wittler Beavers (2009) and Grace Gore Sturdivant (2007). The winner receives a $6,000 scholarship and the first and second runners-up are awarded $4,000 and $2,000 respectively. Miss Lawson was a second runner-up for her platform of eradicating childhood hunger.
Miss Robison and the state representatives are all wagering social media campaigns to be named as “America’s Choice” who will be the 16th Miss America finalist. Posting the phrase Tennessee #MissAmericaVote daily on Facebook and Twitter from now until next Thursday will count as votes. Her video which was filmed at the Tennessee’s Paris Eiffel Tower, has been viewed over 22,000 times.