Miss TN Volunteer Paige Clark talks excitement, clogging, pediatrics as she looks to the future

Angele Latham
Jackson Sun
Miss Tennessee Volunteer 2021 Ameilia Collins crowns Paige Clark, Miss Knoxville, as Miss Tennessee Volunteer 2023.

Two weeks ago, Miss Knoxville’s Paige Clark was crowned Miss Tennessee Volunteer on the sparkling stage of the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, Tenn.

Surrounded by the 35 women who vied for the title, the 2021 Miss Tennessee Volunteer Amelia Collins gently affixed the crown to Clark’s head, beginning the East Tennessee native’s reign as the year’s queen.

But even as the glitz and glamor of the pageant is wrapped up—the crowds returned home, the sparkly stage deconstructed, and the curtains drawn—Clark is just beginning her duties as queen.  

Last week, after a meeting of the Jackson Exchange Club of Jackson in the halls of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Clark sat down with the Jackson Sun to talk about her inspiration for the pageant, and her goals moving forward.

Paige Clark attends the Jackson Exchange Club's meeting in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel following her crowning.

“I couldn’t even believe it was me,” she said, of the crowning night. “Every time they called my name into the next phase of the competition, I was just blown away! Because there were truly 35 other amazing, accomplished, talented women on that stage. And just to be called out and recognized by the judges between all these fantastic women, it was unmatched.

“I was standing next to Miss Memphis, and she is just an amazingly wonderful woman, and I knew that either one of us would be an amazing representation of Tennessee. I was so excited for either of us!”

'Won the judges heart':Miss Knoxville Paige Clark is crowned Miss Tennessee Volunteer 2022

Miss Knoxville, Paige Clark reacts to hearing her name called as the new MIss Tennessee Volunteer 2022 on June 16, 2022 at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson , TN. First runner up was Miss Memphis, Kailyn Maclin.

Sights on pediatric nurse practitioner

The crown was one of the least exciting awards of the nights, however—for Clark, the real award was the $11,000 in scholarhips money she received for her win, which will go towards the doctorate degree that she is pursuing.

“My goal of being a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon is made possible by the scholarship money this organization provides me,” she said. “When the crown was placed on my head, I received a $10,000 scholarship to put towards my student loans, and a $1,000 scholarship for being the academic achievement winner of the program.”

Clark, who is a 23 year-old nurse at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, is currently working her way through the doctoral program at Johns Hopkins University to become a pediatric nurse practitioner.

It’s a subject she has been incredibly passionate about since her childhood.

“When I was in elementary school, my family adopted an NAS baby, which is a drug-addicted newborn from maternal drug use,” she explained. “And he spent nearly the first three years of his life in the hospital—actually the one I work at now! He had open heart surgery, Kawasaki disease… just from the withdrawal from drugs in general. So he was a very sick little baby.”

Clark described the kindness and skill of the nurses at ETCH inspired her to become one.

“Just the way the nurses treated him and my family while we were in and out of the hospital so much really inspired me to be a nurse, and specifically work in the children’s hospital,” she said. “I want to branch out and specialize in cardio-thoracic surgery.”

If readers are impressed by these academic goals, they’re not alone—judges of the pageant said that Clark “won the judges hearts” throughout all four phases of the competition, especially including her interviews with the judges, and performance of her clogging talent on the opening night of the pageant.

Paige Clark, Miss Knoxville, competed in Talent during the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant that was held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, TN on June 15, 2022.  Gail Bailey/The Jackson Sun

Clogging after COVID

What audience members didn’t know, however, was that Clark had recently recovered from COVID-19—and her rousing clogging routine was only possible after hours upon hours of dedication to getting her stamina back.

“It’s hard when you’re a dancer and you can’t breathe!” she said. “The entire week before I left for the pageant, I was in the studio every single day, trying to build my stamina back up. When I danced the first time having COVID-19, I couldn’t even get through one dance.”

Despite dancing for about 20 years, Clark said her performance at the pageant was “exhausting.”

“As soon as I got back behind the curtain after (the performance), I had to lay on the floor to breathe,” she said.

Regardless of difficulty, clogging, Clark described, is the reason she feels comfortable on stage.

“I loved being on stage for the past four years,” she said, smiling. “I was a professional clogger at Pigeon Forge at the Comedy Barn Theatre and the Hatfield-McCoy Dinner Feud. I danced there six nights a week, between the two theatres, so I really gained my confidence in who I am on stage, and that translated well over to the pageant stage.”

The winner of the Miss Tennessee Volunteer 2022 pageant is Miss Knoxville Paige Clark. The pageant was held June 15-18, 2022, at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, Tenn.

Third times a charm, with a crown

According to Clark, the Miss Tennessee Volunteer was only her “third pageant ever.”

“I had already been a very active volunteer in the Knoxville community through my undergraduate degree and before I even began my journey in pageants,” she said. “So when I found this organization, and saw that it was so heavily service-related, and just promoting being active in your community, I knew I felt at home here.”

While shopping at JoAnn's Fabric Store, a friend recommended the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant to her—and so began her journey to the crown.

“It’s been a whirlwind since,” she laughed.

Moving forward, Clark is excited to finish her doctoral degree while serving as the Governor’s Spokesperson for Character Education, a position specifically delineated for the Miss Tennessee Volunteer.

“Miss Tennessee volunteer is the governor’s spokesperson for character education, and the winner gets to embody one of the character traits,” Clark explained. “She makes a message that she gets to speak to children across the state of Tennessee.”

Clark paused, then laughed.

“’She’ is me now! I still can’t believe it!” she said. “I’ll be going to a school tour, and be speaking my message, which is that I really want to embody the message of respect. Whatever path you’re called to in life, it’s okay, and you need to embody it and walk it, and we should all respect that paths we’re walking.”

Life purpose, next generation

Clark believes that her new title, crown and responsibilities perfectly align with her medical career goals and aspirations—it’s all in the name of the next generation.

“My life, my purpose—it’s all about the next generation, and it’s quite evident since I’m a pediatric nurse,” she said. “Getting to talk to these kids in school and being a future pediatrician, being able to talk to the next generation and inspire them in a different capacity than just being in the hospital is an amazing opportunity.”

Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@gannett.com, by phone at 731-343-5212, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham.