Kennedy Holland, 21, was crowned Miss Arkansas 2025 in June at the Robinson Center in Little Rock. The Greenwood native was Miss University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in 2024 and competed in this year’s Miss Arkansas Pageant as Miss Metro 2025. She is the daughter of Katie and Sean Holland and a senior communication major at UCA with plans to pursue a master’s degree in nonprofit management.
“Competing for the role of Miss Arkansas is an opportunity that I’ve never taken lightly,” Holland said. “From a young age, I understood the importance of who Miss Arkansas is and the impact she has on our state. When I heard ‘Miss Arkansas 2025, Kennedy Holland,’ I remember feeling a wave of joy and relief that my dream and years of hard work had finally come to fruition.”
As Miss Arkansas, she has been promoting her community service initiative, Compassion Legacy, which focuses on advocating for and funding adaptive recreational spaces. Through this effort, she is committed to creating inclusive environments where individuals of all abilities can enjoy safe, accessible and enriching recreational opportunities.
In addition to earning the state title, Holland was awarded more than $36,000 in scholarships to support her educational and professional pursuits. She was also recognized with numerous additional honors, including the Overall Service Above Self Award, the Journalism & Mass Communication Profession Scholarship sponsored by KARK Channel 4 and many preliminary awards celebrating her excellence throughout the competition.
After winning Miss Arkansas, she began working throughout the state, serving the people and advocating for causes such as the American Heart Association, Compassion Legacy and more. She credits her time as Miss UCA and Miss Metro with preparing her for Miss Arkansas.
“My first year at UCA was truly one of the most transformative years of my life, and I’m so thankful for Stephanie McBrayer and Kelly Owens for making my time as Miss UCA so special. Being Miss Metro and serving the greater Little Rock area provided countless opportunities for me to connect with so many people who make a difference in Arkansans’ lives daily.”
UCA celebrated Miss Arkansas Kennedy Holland Monday, Aug. 25, with a reception at the home of UCA President Houston Davis, who hosted along with his wife, Jenny, ahead of Holland’s participation in the Miss America Pageant Sept. 1-7 in Orlando, Florida.
She reflected, “They [President Davis and First Lady Jenny Davis] love this institution and each person who steps foot onto campus, and UCA is so lucky to have them. Being honored at their home before going to Miss America felt so special because it shows that we have servant-hearted leadership.”
Holland then traveled to Florida in September to compete, and she came back with several honors. She earned the Miss Preliminary Talent award for her vocal rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and was one of 11 finalists. When asked how it felt competing in Miss America, she talked of dreams coming true and feeling gratitude for the experience.
“Every little girl dreams big – my big dream was competing at Miss America. To say that is such a surreal statement, and I will talk about it for the rest of my life. I met 51 of America’s best and brightest women.”
Holland continued, “I also had the privilege of representing the greatest state in the nation and advocating on behalf of Compassion Legacy on national television. My biggest and wildest dream had come true!”
While she takes the next year traveling the state and the nation as Miss Arkansas, she continues to represent the capital city and UCA and keeps the campus close to her heart.
“UCA is a very special place, and the community there treats Miss UCA so incredibly well,” she said.
Caption:
1. President Houston Davis, Miss Arkansas Kennedy Holland, and First Lady Jenny Davis. 2. Miss Arkansas Kennedy Holland and Miss UCA Co-Executive Director Stephanie McBrayer. 3. Miss Arkansas Kennedy Holland and Miss UCA 2025 Tori Kiser.