A native of Arlington made history at this year’s Miss USA pageant, becoming the first married woman and mother to win the title.
Justus Kelley, senior philanthropic advisor at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and founder of the nonprofit Foster Footprints, claimed the crown last week in Miami and will compete in the Miss Universe pageant in November.
This year’s “Miss Arlington” took home the title of Miss Virginia 2025 at a ceremony on Saturday.
Madison Whitbeck received the crown and scholarships totaling $22,500. The 20-year-old sophomore at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. plans to use her title to champion arts education and travel around Virginia as a performer and motivational speaker.
A recent Miss Arlington is competing in the finals of the Miss America competition this week.
Last year’s Miss Arlington, Victoria Chuah, is looking to add another crown to her collection on Thursday. She is set to compete against 50 others, including Miss District of Columbia, for the title of Miss America.
Briana Hanafin had never been in a pageant before entering the Miss Arlington 2014 contest last December, but that didn’t stop her from winning the sash, tiara and entrance into this year’s Miss Virginia pageant.
The 24-year-old Arlington native graduated from Yorktown High School and works as an I.T. consultant for Accenture. She tells ARLnow.com that she entered the pageant because all of her time in high school and college — she attended Baylor University in Texas before transferring and graduating from the University of Maryland — was devoted to playing softball.
It’s July — After the hottest June on record in DC, we have finally reached the temperate month of July.
Virginia/WMATA Deal Imminent? — The Metro board of directors is holding an emergency phone meeting this morning to approve a last-minute funding deal with Virginia’s state government. Two weeks ago Gov. Bob McDonnell threatened to withhold $50 million in funding for the agency unless the state could get two seats on the Metro board. More from the Washington Examiner.
Uze, who was competing as Miss Greater Richmond (local residency is not required to compete in regional pageants), will receive $17,000 in scholarship money and free rent for a year. She will compete for the Miss America crown next year.
Caressa Cameron, the 2009 Miss Arlington winner who went on to win Miss Virginia and then Miss America, was on hand for the pageant, which was held in Roanoke.
