Ellen Carrington
Miss Tennessee 2008
Ellen Carrington's childhood dream became a reality when she was crowned Miss Tennessee on June 21, 2008, in her hometown of Jackson, Tennessee. As the reigning Miss Tennessee, Ellen is serving as Governor Phil Bredesen and the Tennessee Department of Education's Spokesperson for a Safe and Drug Free Tennessee. She is also serving as the Goodwill Ambassador for Children's Miracle Network for the state of Tennessee, home to five CMN hospitals. Ellen will be representing Tennessee at the Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas, NV in January 2009.
Ellen is a resident of Jackson, TN where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Music at Union University. On campus, she has served on Union's Class Council, is a member of Chi Omega sorority and has held membership on the Union University Panhellenic Association. Ellen was awarded a Union University Academic Award and a Union University Music Scholarship to assist
with her education. While a student at Union, Ellen traveled to Nova Contagem, Brazil, where she volunteered for a medical missions program, organized a state-wide coat drive for tornado victims on her college campus, collected 2,000 flip flops for a Nicaraguan mission trip and authored a children's book, "Chester's Helping Paws," to teach schoolchildren the importance of helping at an early age so as to cultivate a lifetime of service. Ellen graduated with honors from the University School of Jackson where she was the recipient of the Prudential Scholar Award, USJ Outstanding Community Service Award, was named to the Jackson Chamber of Commerce Leadership University, as well as the Mayor's Youth Council, and was also a semi-finalist in the Coca-Cola Scholars Program.
Due to her involvement in varied and vast community service projects, volunteerism is Ellen's personal platform issue. It is her desire to encourage and inspire young people to give a part of themselves to others as she travels across the state of Tennessee. In support of her platform, Ellen has created a website, www.volunteerforlife.zoomshare.com, to promote volunteerism beyond her own reach and has created and distributed 2,500 copies of "Helper Coloring Book" to teach volunteerism to children. She has initiated a statewide community service project called "Change A Life," which collects donations of loose change at cash registers of businesses for the Children's Miracle Network, while promoting her personal message of volunteerism. In her spare time, Ellen designs her own jewelry line and donates all of the proceeds to the Children's Miracle Network.
After her year of service as Miss Tennessee, Ellen plans to graduate from Union University with a degree in Music and become a classical vocalist. She also hopes to continue to promote the spirit of volunteerism in the Volunteer State of Tennessee.