Holland to compete for national title Sept. 1-7 in Orlando, Florida
The University of Central Arkansas celebrated Miss Arkansas Kennedy Holland Monday, Aug. 25, with a reception ahead of her participation in Miss America Sept. 1-7 in Orlando, Florida.
UCA President Houston Davis, Miss Arkansas Kennedy Holland, First Lady Jenny Davis
Holland, 21, was crowned Miss UCA 2024 and then went on to become Miss Metro before being named Miss Arkansas 2025 at Little Rock’s Robinson Center in June. A Greenwood native, she is the daughter of Katie and Sean Holland and a senior communication major with hopes of earning a master’s degree in nonprofit management.
The reception was held in the home of UCA President Houston Davis who hosted along with his wife, Jenny. Several members and advisors from Holland’s sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha, were in attendance, as well as members of the Miss UCA and Miss Arkansas boards of directors, several preliminary title holders, members of the Conway community and numerous UCA staff, many of whom helped Holland prepare for Miss Arkansas when she was Miss UCA.
As Miss Arkansas, Holland 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.
Miss Arkansas Kennedy Holland, Miss UCA Tori Kiser
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.
Additional information about Miss Arkansas 2025 Kennedy Holland, how to become a contestant and the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Organization is available at missarkansas.org.
The Miss America organization will hold the 2026 Competition at The Walt Disney Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts, culminating with the crowning of Miss America 2026 on Sunday, Sept. 7. More information is available at missamerica.org.
About Miss UCA
Miss UCA is an official preliminary of the Miss Arkansas competition and will take place Nov. 16 in Reynolds Performance Hall on the UCA campus. With the help of generous donors and local businesses, Miss UCA awards scholarships and in-kind gifts in excess of $14,000 each year. Winners of the Miss UCA title go on to represent UCA in Miss Arkansas, which awards over $300,000 in scholarships during competition week each June.
About Miss Arkansas
The Miss Arkansas Scholarship Program is dedicated to providing scholarships for young women to continue their education. Since our founding in 1932, the Miss Arkansas organization has helped thousands of young women and is proud to have made the following contributions: #1 provider of scholarships to the state winner in the Miss America Organization; 100% of State Candidates receive a scholarship for competing; and $1+ million scholarships awarded to candidates in the last five years. The Miss Arkansas Organization proudly supports the educational goals of women through unprecedented scholarships and opportunities for advocacy in communities across our great state. Our goal is to empower women with the experiences and scholarships that will allow them to achieve their educational goals while developing their presentation skills, talents and confidence. We are preparing women for the world and the world for great women!
About Miss America
Miss America, an over 102+ year old brand, and the Miss America’s Scholarship Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, share the common mission of using the Miss America platform empowering women to lead through education/scholarships, style and success. to identify deserving candidates and award academic scholarships to young women throughout the United States. On behalf of Miss America, the Miss America’s Scholarship Foundation administers scholarships that are awarded by Miss America at the national level of competition.
