Riley Roberts named Miss Arkansas State
JONESBORO – Jonesboro native Riley Roberts was crowned Miss Arkansas State University in the 47th edition of the scholarship competition presented by Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity in Riceland Hall at Fowler Center on the A-State campus.
The sophomore elementary education major from local Valley View High School captured the title with her dance talent and social impact statement of “Possibility with Disability.” Assessed at an early age with dyslexia, Roberts wrote that for her, working in the education field to assist those with the learning challenge “is not only my platform, it is my career choice.”
Also a member of the Red Wolves Dance team that last year finished top five in the nation, Roberts performed a jazz dance routine entitled “Feeling Good” for her talent. Among her prizes, Roberts received a $5,000 scholarship from Arkansas State University.
The first runner-up was Riley Strube, a first-year student majoring in psychology at A-State from Cabot, Ark. Strube’s platform issue was “The Mental Health War,” and her talent was a jazz tap dance routine entitled “Dr. Jazz.” She won the individual competitions for both talent and on-stage interview.
The other finalists included Erica Parker of Jonesboro as second runner-up, while Erin Davis of Bono was third runner-up and Maria Cissell of Fenton, Mo., was fourth.
A product of Jonesboro High School, Parker is a freshman majoring in strategic communication. Davis is also a freshman who is majoring in elementary education and a graduate of local Westside High School. Cissell is a pre-professional and criminal justice major at A-State and a member of the Red Wolves Dance Team.
Sophomore Olivia Daniels of Kennett, Mo., won two individual awards, the Social Media Award as well as People’s Choice.
Senior Emma Allen of Helena, Ark., was received the Congeniality Award.
The contest is an official Miss America Preliminary, so Roberts will now begin preparations immediately to compete in the 2022 Miss Arkansas competition. She received the Miss A-State crown from the previous recipient, Apple Dennie.
The Pi Kappa Alpha chapter at A-State began sponsoring the Miss Arkansas State University Competition in 1975.
