Lily K. Donaldson of Memphis represented Tennessee at the 35th annual Miss United States pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada
LAS VEGAS, Nevada —She’s beauty and she’s grace, she’s on her way home from Miss United States! Lily K. Donaldson represented Tennessee at the 2021 Miss United States pageant, winning People’s Choice and 2nd Runner-Up. Donaldson had previously held the title of Miss Memphis United States before winning the state crown in June.
“I’m just so elated with the results! I had an amazing year serving as Miss Memphis and then as Miss Tennessee United States, and to be able to take this accolade home with me from the national pageant...it’s very exciting!” she said. Donaldson has spent her time with the title volunteering with ‘Art Technically,’ [LINK: arttechnically.org] a Cordova-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides STEM, STEAM, and Arts education to K-12 students. During her year of service, she attended community events such as the Cooper-Young 4th of July Children’s Parade, taught STEM workshops including an Astrobotany workshop at the Atoka Community Center in Tipton County, organized STEM book drives for elementary schools including for Ralph Askins Elementary School in Fayetteville, and sewed 27 scientist-themed teddy bears for the Memphis Child Advocacy Center.
When she’s not wearing her crown or volunteering in the community, the 22-year-old is a Ph.D. student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute studying Agricultural Technologies. She received her Master of Science in Lighting from RPI in May of 2021 and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from American University in May of 2020. She has also held software development positions at the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Energy, and the DC NASA Space Grant Consortium. Donaldson currently resides with her family in Cordova, Tennessee, and is a graduate of Bolton High School.
When asked if she had plans for after the Miss United States pageant, she responded, “Well, I’ll focus on finishing my Ph.D. and working with Art Technically to ensure that every child has access to a well-rounded education that includes STEM and the Arts! This experience has been so wonderful, but it’s certainly not the end of me serving the communities of Tennessee and Memphis and advocating for the importance of STEM and Arts education nationwide.”
The United States
National Pageants
NDJ Productions (AL, TN, MS, KY)
Contact: Naomi Jones, Director
812-573-7204
misstennesseeunitedstates@gmail.com
