Sophia Parker, Miss Vermont and a sergeant in the Vermont Army National Guard, is set to compete in the Miss America pageant on Sept. 7 in Orlando with a platform focused on service and national unity.
Parker, 27, said her goal as Miss America would be to travel the country listening to Americans from across the political spectrum and encouraging respectful dialogue. "Between the left and the right… there is a ton of division," she told Fox News Digital, adding that the role of Miss America should be to "hear everyone’s perspective" and help create a middle ground where people feel heard.
Parker is a registered nurse and a combat medic who works at the University of Vermont Medical Center and serves in the Vermont National Guard. She said her military and medical service shaped her view of civic responsibility and community. Parker told reporters she intends to promote a message that service, whether to one’s country or local community, should be prioritized over partisan division.
A native of Addison, Vermont, Parker co-founded Otter Creek Wildlife Rescue with her mother and is Vermont’s youngest licensed wildlife rehabilitator. She identified wildlife rehabilitation and stewardship as her community service initiative, and said she plans to work with legislators and nonprofit groups to strengthen protections for wild animals in the state. "Currently, the state of Vermont allows things like leghold trapping and hunting with hounds," Parker said. "We’re working to make these things illegal or at least much more regulated."
Parker emphasized she does not seek to ban hunting, calling ethical hunting a longstanding Vermont tradition, and said her advocacy is aimed at curbing abuse. "It’s very possible to be an extremely ethical hunter," she said, noting she knows hunters who feed their families from the animals they harvest. "We as people can be passionate about any number of things. I believe that as an American, you can be anything that you want to be."
Parker graduated from Castleton University last May with a nursing degree. She said financial support from both the Vermont National Guard and the Miss America Organization allowed her to finish college debt-free. The Miss America Organization awards more than $5 million in scholarships annually, and many contestants cite scholarship aid as a key benefit of participation.
Her interest in service traces back to family history. Parker said her grandfather fought in World War II, was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge and received a Purple Heart. Listening to his stories influenced her decision to join the Guard as a medic. "He was a part of something bigger than himself," she said. "There’s nothing like it in the world, and I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself."
Parker said a high school teacher encouraged her to try pageants as a way to access scholarships and connect with a broader community. She described herself as someone who does not fit a single stereotype — nurse, soldier, pageant contestant and wildlife rehabilitator — and said the Miss America stage offers a platform to share those intersecting identities.
As Miss Vermont, Parker plans to travel the state and beyond to promote wildlife stewardship and to engage people in conversations about service and civic responsibility. She said she wants young people to know that volunteering and community involvement do not require wealth or extraordinary talent. "You just need to get involved in your community and make a difference," she said.
Parker is the 80th Miss Vermont. The Miss America competition, which traces its origins to a 1921 Atlantic City event, remains a prominent national pageant and scholarship provider. The outcome of this year’s contest will be decided at the program in Orlando on Sept. 7.