New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Rachel Perry, a seventeen-year-old senior at Old Rochester Regional High School, will travel to Orlando, FL to represent Massachusetts at the 16th annual Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Scholarship Pageant. From July 20 through July 27, fifty-one national contestants will be welcomed to Orlando for a week of press events, rehearsals, and community appearances leading up to the selection of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen 2020. London Hibbs of Texas, the reigning MAOTeen, will be crowning her successor on Saturday evening, July 27.
For over 99 years, the Miss America Organization has been helping young women achieve their goals and dreams. 51 contestants, each representing their states along with the District of Columbia, will showcase their talents and compete for over $150,000 in scholarship assistance and the opportunity to travel the United States promoting scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community service for America’s teens. Since its inception in 2005, the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant, known as “the little sister of the Miss America Pageant” has become one of the top scholarship providers for teen girls in the United States. Each year, MAOTeen, along with its state and local organizations, has made available millions in cash and tuition assistance to young women across the country.
Perry, competing as an At-Large contestant, won the title of Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen in April at the state competition in New Bedford. Rachel is currently ranked first in her class and is enrolled in all Honors and 4 Advanced Placement courses. She is on the Highest Honors list and is a member of the National Honor Society. As a dual enrollment student, she has a 4.0 GPA in her college courses. Rachel has been accepted to Cornell University as a junior, but will defer entry until the fall of 2020 in order to fulfill her obligations as MMAOTeen. Her accomplishments outside of the classroom are many. She is a multi-sport athlete, is a member of the Student Council, is active in St. John Neuman’s parish, and has produced and performs musical productions at many local nursing facilities throughout the Greater New Bedford Area. She is a member of the Boy Scouts of America. An accomplished musician, Rachel plays twelve instruments. For her talent in the pageant, she performs an energetic and entertaining Rock Fiddle performance to Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way”. On Sunday July 14, she will be feted at a send-off reception hosted by her family and state committee at the Point Independence Yacht Club in Onset to wish her well on her journey to the national competition.
Rachel is using her title as Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen to spread awareness through her platform entitled “Healing Song: Mending Minds.” She chose this platform after suffering a concussion during springboard diving practice. She states, “I found that music helped in my concussion recovery. Now I want to share the benefits of music with others who have experienced a concussion or Traumatic Brain Injury.” She engages her audiences with music in her public speaking engagements to let them experience the powerful effects of music on the brain. As MMAOTeen, Rachel will also be working on behalf of the Children’s Miracle Network and Boston Children’s Hospital during the year. CMNH is the National Platform of the MAOTeen and Miss America Organizations. Her career ambition is to graduate with a degree in hotel administration and become a commercial real estate investor. Rachel is the daughter of Deborah and Mark Perry of New Bedford.
