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About Sarah

Bio

Sarah Slocum is the 23 year old daughter of David and Jane Slocum of Sheridan.  She is a 2004 Distinguished Honor Graduate of Sheridan High School, graduating number one in her class, and a 2008 summa cum laude graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.  Sarah is now a second year law student at the University of Arkansas and will complete her Juris Doctorate after her year of service as Miss Arkansas 2009. 

As a first year law student at the University of Arkansas, Sarah was a member of the six-person Negotiations Competition Traveling Team, and was a Client Counseling Competition finalist.  She continues to hold membership in Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity, the Arkansas Trial Lawyers’ Association, and the American Bar Association.

While at the University of Central Arkansas, Sarah served as the Senior Class Vice President for the Student Government Association, and the 2005 Director for the IDEAL Leadership Team.  She was a member of the Concert and Chamber Choirs for four years, Student Orientation Staff and Ambassadors.  In addition, she holds membership in the Magna Cum Laude Society, Alpha Chi National Honor Society, and Phi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society.

Representing the Ouachita River Scholarship Pageant Association as Miss Ouachita River, Sarah was crowned the 71^st Miss Arkansas on July 18, 2009, garnering $23, 800 in scholarship money, the largest award ever received by a Miss Arkansas, as well as over $50,000 in wardrobe, gifts, and transportation.  Sarah captured the Dr. Paul Peek Overall Interview Award for the second consecutive year.  She looks forward to representing the state in the 89^th Miss America Pageant, to be held in Las Vegas on January 26-30, 2010. 

The Miss America Organization, headquartered in Linnwood, New Jersey, is one of the nation’s leading achievement programs and is the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women, supplying more than $45 million annually at the local, state, and national levels. 

Critical Issue 

Paving the Way:  Encouraging Higher Education

     With the nation’s job market becoming increasingly more competitive, Americans must be equipped with a marketable skill.  Completing a college education is the best way to ensure future opportunities within the workplace.

     According to the United States Census Bureau, only 27% of Americans hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and over 60% of Americans lack exposure to any type of postsecondary learning.  Thus, the United States ranks 12th in college attainment among the world’s major industrialized countries.  Studies have shown an inextricable tie between the educational level of our citizens and the economic security of our nation. Ultimately, the steady growth of global competition renders it imperative that we make higher education a domestic priority. 

     While these statistics may seem alarming, steps are being taken to encourage students to attend an institution of higher learning.  I believe we must promote a desire to set goals and reach achievements, stress the benefits of obtaining a college degree, and find the scholarship money necessary to enable college placement for all students.

     My interest in college was sparked at a young age because of my parents’ commitment to higher education.  That seed of interest has now blossomed into an involvement that has afforded me the opportunity to meet with each of Arkansas’ Senators, Representatives, and their respective staff members in Washington, D.C. to discuss the future of higher education.  I have also conferred with representatives from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities to discuss potential solutions for the challenges facing student accessibility and completion of college.  At the state level, I have served as a lobbyist with the Arkansas Association of Public Universities to educate our governmental leaders on the cumulative benefits of funding higher education.  I have spoken to over 12,000 students and parents about making college a priority, and have implemented a scholarship program at my former high school to help pave the way for students to fulfill their dreams of higher education.

     Individually, these feats may seem small, but together they serve as a catalyst, empowering students to make higher education a priority.  In collaboration with schools, as Miss Arkansas I will continue to use my voice to encourage all students to establish a college-bound mindset.