From the moment Sophie Puckett began tapping her blue suede shoes on the Witherspoon Auditorium stage, it was clear she had a chance to become Miss Arkansas Tech University.
Puckett, an 18-year old ATU freshman from Jonesboro, was crowned the 69th Miss Arkansas Tech on Friday night during the 2025 Miss Arkansas Tech University scholarship pageant.
Daughter of Laura and Bob Puckett, the new Miss Arkansas Tech is majoring in biology pre-medicine at ATU. Her sponsor for the competition was Zeta Tau Alpha.
“It’s a great feeling and I’m so proud to represent Arkansas Tech,” said Puckett. “When I visited ATU for the first time at Time Out for Tech, I immediately felt like it was home. It felt like a community. I knew I would have friends and family to support me. I felt hope here. That’s why I came to Arkansas Tech.”
Puckett won the Nona Dirksmeyer Memorial Talent Award, the Kristen Hayes Atchley Dance Award, the On-Stage Interview Award and the Evening Wear Award during the Miss Tech competition.
A tap dancer since the age of 3, Puckett brought down the house with her performance to the tune of “Blue Suede Shoes.”
“I’ve loved it since I put tap shoes on for the first time,” said Puckett. “It’s a way for me to express myself and to feel competitive. It’s something I’m really passionate about.”
Puckett qualified for Miss Arkansas’ Teen on four occasions and finished in the top five of that competition twice. As Miss Arkansas Tech 2025, she has qualified to compete in Miss Arkansas for the first time.
“I’m so excited and it’s such a blessing,” said Puckett. “I’m really thankful to God for giving me this opportunity and the confidence to compete tonight.”
Puckett’s community service initiative is “HOPE: Helping Other People Every Day.”
“I want to encourage Arkansans and ATU students that by taking advantage of daily opportunities to volunteer we can bring hope to this campus and all of Russellville,” said Puckett.
Among the prizes that Puckett receives as Miss Tech is a two-semester tuition scholarship at Arkansas Tech. In all, more than $23,000 in gifts and scholarships were awarded during the 2025 Miss Arkansas Tech pageant.
Savannah Brown of Rison was the was first runner-up. She won the Zachary McClure Denison Leadership Award and the Dr. Jim Collins Miss Congeniality Award.
Jazmine Houston of Plainview (second runner-up), Kenleigh Garner of Hot Springs (third runner-up) and Vivica Smith of Imboden (fourth runner-up) rounded out the top five among the nine-contestant field.
Houston captured the Lindsey Ahrens McCrary Vocal Award. Smith earned the Instrumentalist/Artistic/Spoken Word Award. Smith and Savannah Grana Rodriguez of Springdale shared the Virginia Bachman Scholastic Achievement Award as the contestants with the highest grade point average.
Other contestants in the 69th Miss Tech pageant were Lilian Bolin of Plainview, Taryn Kimberlin of Omaha and Damaris Castaneda of Clarksville.
