Former Queen Neelah bestowed US Miss crown
Sarah Schwatken will balance her role as a national pageant queen with jobs as CCC cheer-dance assistant coach, college senior
Story Courtesy of The Montgomery County Chronicle
BY ANDY TAYLOR
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Ever since being crowned Queen Neelah the 80th in October 2021, Sarah Schwatken has found a home in the pageant community.
Three and a half years after winning a local crown on an Independence stage, she now proudly carries a crown representing a national pageant.
Schwatken, who was raised in rural Sycamore, Kansas, was crowned 2025 US Miss at a pageant in Myrtle Beach, Fla., on May 31. Competing as US Miss Kansas, she defeated nine other state title holders in the 20-26 age group to claim the tiara.
“I was more nervous at this pageant than I was at the Queen Neelah pageant in 2021 or any other pageant since,” she said. “Here I am, age 20 and a kid from Sycamore, Kansas, going against contestants who are professional models, some age 26, who’ve been doing this for years. I was a little overwhelmed.”
The US Miss title is one of 15 crowns awarded by the US Miss Pageants. Most are based on age divisions, but in 2025, the organization introduced additional crowns for ambulatory and nonambulatory contestants to expand accessibility and inclusion.
But Schwatken emphasizes that the pageant isn’t just about “crowns and gowns.”
“The sisterhood and community service work create a network of friends and support across the globe,” she said.
As winner of a division for college-aged women, Schwatken also receives scholarship funding, a much-needed asset as she enters her senior year at Emporia State University in 2025–26.
Service at the Heart
One of Schwatken’s key roles as US Miss will take place in July, when she joins fellow title holders at Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Fla. — a global US Miss project.
The nearly 90-acre village resort offers cost-free wish vacations for terminally ill children and their families, run entirely by volunteers and ambassador groups like US Miss.
“Being a pageant queen isn’t about parading on a stage. It’s about giving back to the community and world,” she said. “I feel God has given me a voice to give a message to others and a desire to help people who are unable to help themselves.”
That passion has long shaped her pageant journey. In previous competitions, Schwatken shared her personal struggles with weight loss and body image, inspiring her to create a body positivity program called B+=Love.
Winning More Than a Crown
The most challenging part of the three-day national competition?
The interview process.
Schwatken spoke at length about her body-positive platform and her plans to promote similar efforts on a national level.
Contestants also had to complete an onstage introduction in front of a live audience.
“It was an intense interview process. That and the introduction alone count for 50 percent of the total score. It’s clear that US Miss wants the focus to be on service projects and platforms.”
In addition to interviews, contestants were scored in fun and fitness wear, personality, and formal gown categories. Schwatken won first place in every category.
She was also recognized for logging 550 hours of community service from April 2024 to April 2025.
A Track Record of Service
This isn’t Schwatken’s first time with the US Miss organization. In 2024, she earned the title of US Miss–Alicia VanOrder Community Service, awarded to a contestant especially dedicated to community outreach.
A 2022 graduate of Tyro Community Christian School, she now works as a recruiter and assistant cheer and dance coach at Coffeyville Community College.
She promotes the same body-positive values within her squad of 30+ students.
“We’re not here to shame our most-spirited students because of the way they look or the size of their body,” she said. “We have cheer and dance team members of all sizes and shapes, and that’s what makes it a special group.”