Jena Sims

Pageant titleholder bio
title=Miss Georgia Teen USA 2007
photo=
nationalcompetition=Miss Teen USA 2007
location= Winder, Georgia, U.S.
birthname= Jena Michelle Sims
birth = birth date and age|1988|12|30
eye color= Brown
height=height|ft=5|in=8
hair color=Brown

Jena Michelle Sims (born December 30, 1988) is a beauty queen from Winder, Georgia who has held the Miss National Junior Teenager title and competed in the Miss Teen USA pageant in 2007.

She has been widely recognised for her work with various charities, including her own organisation "Pageant of Hope".

Biography

Early life and education

Sims grew up in Winder, Georgia and graduated from Winder-Barrow High School in 2007. [cite news|url=http://www.11alive.com/life/life_article.aspx?storyid=87586|title=Beauty Pageant Titles Awarded|first=Michael|last=King|date=2006-11-13|publisher=11Alive|accessdate=2006-11-17] She is currently a freshman at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee where she is studying International Business. She is serving on the Community Service Council on the Student Advisory Board for Business Majors.

Pageants

In 2004, Sims was crowned Miss Georgia Junior National Teenager [ [http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/fulltext/hr845.htm Georgia General Assembly House Resolution 845] . Retrieved 2006-11-12.] and later won the Miss Junior National Teenager title 2005. [ [http://tkpnpodcast.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=119746 Pageant Cast podcast interview with Jena Sims, episode 34] . Retrieved 2006-11-12.]

A year later, Sims won the Miss Georgia Teen USA 2007 title in a state pageant held in Newnan on 11 November 2006. [cite news|url=http://content.times-herald.com/288450123724840.bsp|title=Miss Georgia USA, Miss Georgia Teen USA Winners from Peachtree City, Winder |publisher=The Times-Herald |date=2006-11-13|accessdate=2006-11-15] It was her second attempt at the title, as she placed in the semi-finals in the 2006 event. She was crowned by outgoing titleholder Brittany Sharp, who placed fourth runner-up in the Miss Teen USA pageant in August.

Sims represented Georgia in the Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant broadcast live from Pasadena, California in August 2007, but did not place. She was the first Miss Georgia Teen USA not to place in the pageant since 2003.

Charity work

Sims runs a non-profit organization that hosts beauty pageants for children with cancer and other disadvantages called the "Pageant of Hope".cite news|url=http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:jm42QxBeY1MJ:www.onlineathens.com/stories/102906/living_20061029045.shtml+%22jena+sims%22&hl=en&gl=nz&ct=clnk&cd=14|title=Sims receives Southern hero honor|publisher=Athens Banner-Herald|date=2006-10-29|accessdate=2006-11-12 (Google cache)] The pageants have been held in Winder, Tennessee, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, California and she will be expanding into South Carolina. [cite news|title=Class Act Kid: Jena Sims|url=http://www.11alive.com/news/education/class_act/article_classact.aspx?storyid=98356|first=Donna|last=Lowry|publisher=11Alive.com|date=2007-06-11]

In 2006 she received a Southern Hero award, and won a Prudential Spirit of Community award in 2003. [cite news|title=Two Georgia Youth Honored For Volunteerism at National Award Ceremony In Washington, D.C.|url=http://cache.zoominfo.com/cachedpage/?archive_id=0&page_id=432414355&page_url=%2f%2fwww.theweekly.com%2fnews%2fgavol.html&page_last_updated=5%2f9%2f2003+12%3a52%3a37+PM&firstName=Jena&lastName=Sims|date=2003-05-03|accessdate=2006-11-12 (Zoominfo Cache)] In 2006 she was honoured with an award from the Caring Institute in Washington DC, recognising her work with children with cancer. [cite news|title=Institute recognizes 13 caring Americans of all ages|publisher=USA Today|first=Abby|last=Blevins|date=2006-10-17] The following year she was one of twenty-seven American teenagers given the "Nestle Very Best In Youth" award for her community service. [cite news|title=Extraordinary 27 Recognized as Nestle Very Best in Youth; Winners of National Contest Recognized for Academic and Community Service Excellence|publisher=PR Web|date=2007-03-27]

Her Pageant of Hope has also been awarded numerous State and National Community Service awards such as The Nestle Very Best in Youth National Award [http://sev.prnewswire.com/food-beverages/20070327/SFTU07627032007-1.html] , BRICK Do Something National Award [http://www.dosomething.org/node/3276] and the Prudential Spirit of Community Bronze and Silver medallion. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2003_March_23/ai_99083408] She has been named a Georgia Young Entrepreneur by NFIB [http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_28583.html] , a WXIA Kids Who Care winner [http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=29076] , and a Huggable Hero by Maxine Clark and Build a Bear Workshop [http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=182478&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=728040&highlight=] .

References

External links

* [http://missgeorgiausa.com Miss Georgia Teen USA official website]
* [http://www.missteenusa.com Miss Teen USA official website]

Greenwood Productions titleholders
Year=2007
GA USA=Brittany Swann
GA TUSA=Jena Sims
TN USA=Rachel Smith
TN TUSA=Macy Erwin