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With Arkansas Tech University’s annual Miss Tech pageant rapidly approaching on Friday, Feb. 9, we spent some time with the current Miss Tech, Hannah Lomax, to gain insight into what it means to hold the esteemed title.
Lomax is a double major in biology, biomedical, and music in French horn from Russellville and is in her senior year. She became Miss Tech in the February 2023 pageant and has since become an advocate for veterans and serving the community.
“I was always out in the community, representing the school or advocating for Veterans. Having people of all ages come up to me during events to express their joy that I was representing the school I love so well, meant the world to me,” Lomax said.
The Miss Tech pageant has been a long-standing event at ATU since 1956. The Miss America Organization has continued to sponsor the pageant and provide ATU
with scholarships for not only the overall winner, but women who achieve first place in various individual categories. Each Miss Tech also has the opportunity to represent ATU at the Miss Arkansas pageant.
The road to Miss
Tech can be long, but Lomax provides insight into how the end of the journey can be the most rewarding. “I remember standing there with an armful of other awards I had won that night, praying that they would call my name. All the runners-up had been announced, so when they announced me as the next Miss Tech I was overjoyed. Suddenly the worry of how I would pay for my next year of tuition had been lifted off my chest and placed into my student account,” Lomax said.
Lomax is also a history-maker in her own right, as she is the first service member to wear the Miss Tech crown. She serves as an Army Bandsman and is a member of the ATU Band of Distinction. In addition to serving as a pillar of the ATU community, each year, Miss Tech organizes a Social Impact Initiative. Lomax’s organization, Letters of Hope, allows Arkansas children to send handwritten letters to active military service members around the world.
“While interviewing for Miss Tech, I told the judges that I was planning to be a Miss Tech that was as involved around campus as my schedule allowed. I wanted to make history for ATU by being the first service member to hold the crown. I went into this year with
an active mindset to use it for representation of the arts, sciences, and our military affiliated students. This title is the crowning jewel to my time here at Arkansas Tech,” Lomax said.
The crown of Miss Tech is an honor that many ATU women seek to achieve during their college careers. As the next Miss Tech competition rolls around, Lomax provides a few words of wisdom to those who will compete for the crown.
“I always describe being Miss Tech as being a hometown Miss Arkansas. Be prepared to be recognized in public, on and off campus. Especially on the days when you may not be prepared to be recognized. Take this year and make a special place for it in your heart. Soak in every single interaction you have, appearance you make, and life you impact, and tuck it away in your heart. Never forget the joy that you had on the day that you will be crowned and use that energy to fuel every decision and interaction you have throughout this year. I promise, this is going to be the best year you have ever experienced,” Lomax said.
The 68th Miss Tech pageant will take place on Feb. 9 and will include categories of interview, fitness, talent, on-stage interview and social impact/evening wear. Contact Dr. Jim Collins at jcollins@atu.edu for more information.
