Nasekos competes in volunteer pageant

Special to The Clinton Courier

Josie Nasekos, a twenty-two-year-old Clinton native and recent Mississippi State University (MSU) graduate, recently competed, along with eighteen other young women, in the state’s third annual Miss Mississippi Volunteer Pageant. Nasekos represents the Miss Golden Triangle Volunteer title and was named one of the top eleven finalists in the statewide pageant.

The Miss Mississippi Volunteer Scholarship Pageant is a non-profit, state licensee of the national Miss Volunteer America Pageant, a program focused on providing women ages thirteen to twenty-six across the country with educational scholarships and extraordinary opportunities. Miss Mississippi Volunteer provides just over $90,000 in scholarships to its contestants.
Pageant contestants identify a S.E.R.V.E. initiative that includes scholarship, education, responsibility, volunteerism and empowerment, each a principle of the Miss Mississippi Volunteer Organization.

Naseko’s S.E.R.V.E. initiative is “Earth Empowered!” Her initiative’s purpose is to encourage individuals to adopt sustainable habits into their everyday lives, including activities such as recycling, composting, gardening, biking, reducing energy usage and waste, and upcycling.

Nasekos spent her undergraduate years teaching others about sustainability, giving presentations on recycling to over five hundred individuals, planning volunteer and community events and developing an off-campus education garden.

Pageant contestants compete in the categories of private judges’ interview, fitness and wellness, talent, evening gown, and on-stage question. This year’s pageant was held in Tupelo in early July.

Nasekos, a graduate of Clinton High School, recently received a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics and management, with a minor in sustainability, from MSU. She is planning to continue her education at Clemson University, pursuing a master’s degree in applied economics and statistics.

“It is our hope that each competitor leaves our program with a greater sense of self-confidence, skills to help her achieve her professional and personal goals, and a launching pad for her next phase of life,” said Steve Stockton, the organization’s executive director.

 

For more information about the program, visit www.MissMississippiVolunteer.com.