Adair native Whitney Graves was crowned Ms. Tennessee United States 2018 on April 21 at the Country Tonite Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN.
Whitney resides in Murfreesboro, TN, but she says she tells everyone that she is an Adair Countian when asked about her hometown.
“I love Adair County and when people ask me where I’m from I’m proud to say Adair County,” says Graves. “The Adair community has been so supportive of me throughout my entire life.”
Whitney won Ms. Tennessee United States after deciding to get back into the pageant circuit following an eight-year break.
“I started doing pageants at a young age and did them all the way up until I had my sons, Bryce and Brayden,” says Graves. “As they got a little bit older I decided that I wanted to get back on stage and to help as many people as I could with my platform of financial literacy within the youth.”
As a Ms. United States winner, Whitney will have unique speaking opportunities during her yearlong reign as Ms. Tennessee.
“I think financial literacy is something that young people need to know and I remember when I was in college we didn’t understand how to use credit card or the importance of savings and I think a lot of people start their lives without this knowledge and end up in debt,” says Grave. “I want the youth in general to understand finance and how to manage their money correctly so their not having to pull themselves out of a hole once they leave college or start a career.”
On top of speaking events, Whitney will go on to represent the state of Tennessee when she competes for Ms. United States 2018 in July in Orlando, FL. Whitney says that she is most excited about getting to meet and connect with more people over the next year.
“The thing I’m most excited for is that I’ll be able to touch more people with my platform,” says Graves. “Within the pageant system, you can reach more people and I hope to be able to help a broader group of young people understand the importance of financial literacy.”
Whitney would like to thank all of her Adair County friends and family for their support and all the kind messages she’s received since being crowned.
“ I love Adair County,” says Graves. “We always stick together.”
If you would like to follow Whitney’s journey or support her, visit facebook.com/whitneyterrellgraves for more details.
By Adam Capps
Assistant Editor
