A Bentonville High School senior was crowned Miss America’s Teen 2025 on Saturday night, Jan. 4, in Orlando, Fla.
Peyton Bolling, wearing a baby blue gown, was announced the winner as she gripped the hands of fellow finalist Ali Mims of Alabama — the first runner-up. The other three finalists represented Texas, New Jersey and Mississippi.
Miss America’s Teen is a division of the Miss America program for young women ages 13-18.
Bolling, who lives in Rogers, was crowned Miss Arkansas’ Teen at a competition in June in Little Rock, her first year competing in the event. She advanced to the state competition after earning Miss Dogwood honors. Her mother, Patrice Hargrave Bolling, was Miss Dogwood 1999.
Bolling is the first contestant representing Arkansas to win the Miss America’s Teen pageant since it began in 2005.
Bolling, in an interview with the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette last year, said her community service initiative is “simple acts of citizenship.” She said she served as a page in the U.S. Senate during her junior year, spending five months working at the U.S. Capitol.
“Yet, when I came home, I found so many of my peers were uninformed about every level of government, and that led me to start an Instagram show called ‘Glimpses in Government,'” Bolling said in June. “I use this platform to interview local elected officials and nonprofit leaders about the role of government. The goal is to educate people on the role and function of local and state government — specifically county clerks, JPs, mayor, quorum courts. Those local positions have so much impact on our everyday life.”
Bolling’s achievement comes one year after Madison Marsh, a Fort Smith native representing the state of Colorado, was crowned Miss America.
Camille Cathey, 22, of Wynne was named Miss Arkansas in June. She was set to compete in the Miss America pageant on Sunday night.
