Allison Yeater Lipe, Miss North Greenville University 2019, passed her crown to Kasie Thomas, a sophomore broadcast media major from Wetumpka, AL, during the annual Miss NGU scholarship competition on Friday, Jan. 17 in Turner Chapel. Thomas will compete this summer in the Miss South Carolina competition.
The first runner-up award went to Brook Biondo from Travelers Rest, Hope Scott from Kingstree placed second runner-up, and Kimberly Ensley from Inman placed third. Faith Yeargen from Piedmont received the Community Spirit and Miss Photogenic awards. Paola Martz from Inman won the $250 Yates-Dobson Congeniality Scholarship.
In addition to being crowned Miss NGU 2020 on Friday night, Thomas is also a member of NGU’s women’s volleyball team. Inspired by her involvement with sports as long as she can remember, she chose her social impact platform to be “Empowering Youth Through Sports and Physical Activity.”
“Sports have truly taught me different character traits and lessons I have used throughout my life,” she said. “I want the youth of today to learn the character traits I did through sports. Today’s youth are our future. Hopefully, I will be able to create a bigger serving community around me.”
Thomas says she wants to be someone that embodies strength and courage and be able to show God’s love through it all.
When asked what inspired her to participate this year in the Miss NGU competition, Thomas shared, Director of Student Conduct and Competition Coordinator Atari Jarrett encouraged her before Christmas break to do it.
“When we got back from Christmas break, she [Jarrett] was very persuasive, and some of my other friends were doing it, so I decided to enter a week before it,” she said.
Thomas was first runner-up for the 2017 Elmore County’s Distinguished Young Women in high school, but that is the closest she’s been to a pageant.
“When my name was called as the winner, I was so surprised. I honestly was not expecting to win at all, and I was just so, that tears started to fall. I know this had to be a tough year for the judges because all the girls are so beautiful and inspiring,” she said.
In addition to being a part of the women's volleyball team, Thomas is also a work-study on campus and announces and runs cameras at on-campus sporting events.
“I am currently working with friends to put together a black history program, and I am also looking forward to singing with more friends to perform a gospel concert coming up in February,” she said. “Then, of course, being Miss NGU.”
NGU’s Tigerville campus, which opened in 1892, provides bachelor’s level programs in a residential setting. The Tim Brashier Campus, at 405 Lancaster Avenue in Greer, offers master’s and doctoral level programs in business, Christian ministry, education and music education, as well as a Physician’s Assistant degree program. The Greer location also is home for NGU’s online and certificate programs. For information about NGU’s degree programs, visit NGU.edu/academics.