Arkansas Tech student Claire Hodgson is the new Miss Arkansas Tech University. Hodgson, a Russellville native, is a premed/biology major at Arkansas Tech. Her parents are Cathy Baker and Mario Hodgson.
Hodgson was selected from a field of 15 contestants to win the Miss Tech crown. Her critical issue is inner beauty, and she performed a vocal rendition of Michael Buble’s “Feeling Good” for her talent.
“This is my first time competing, and I’m in shock,” said Hodgson. “I had never thought about competing before and decided this would be a way to step out of my comfort zone. Having never competed, I am thankful for Dr. Collins. He hosted numerous events to put the contestants at ease and really made the process run smoothly.”
Hodgson says she is excited to be an ambassador for Arkansas Tech University. She added, “I have had a great experience here, and I want to tell everyone about Arkansas Tech and the great opportunities for students.”
In addition to winning the Miss Tech crown, Hodgson was also named the winner of the CenturyLink Interview Award.
Others placing in the competition included:
- 1st Runner Up– Piper Veazey of Brinkley
- 2nd Runner Up– Kelsey Parmenter of Pea Ridge
- 3rd Runner Up– Cora Sanders of Clarksville
- 4th Runner Up– Kristen Hayes of Ozark
Those receiving special awards throughout the competition were:
With the crown, Hodsgon will receive a two-semester tuition scholarship to Arkansas Tech, and she also receives more than $3,000 in gift certificates from area businesses. In all, more than $18,000 in gifts and scholarships were awarded during the pageant.
Hodgson will represent Arkansas Tech at Miss Arkansas this summer July in Hot Springs. Be sure to log back on to arkansastechnews.com next week to see photos and video from the pageant.
