EASTERN ARKANSAS — Former Wynne educator Allyson Goodin is this year’s Ms. Arkansas Senior America.
“It’s not my wheelhouse. Definitely, I’m the person behind the camera, not in front of the camera. But, I was traveling around. I participate in the Senior Olympics and this beautiful lady walked in with a sparkly tiara while I was at the swimming and Dr. Carter, beautiful lady, walked in and she made it sound so much fun,” Goodin said. “I thought, you know what, I’m getting ready to retire and will have lots of free time and I like to learn. Let me try some new stuff.
“I came home to the nursing home and talked to mom (Rosalie Barber), which she was Miss Northeast Arkansas and Miss Black Oak, so she’s a pageant girl. That gave us something in the nursing home every day to talk about and we laughed and she said we can buy you makeup, we can do all the things, but you don’t have a talent,” Goodin added. “That became the big joke and the big brainstorm like what in the world are you going to do for a talent. After many days of talking, I thought you know what I can buy a cheap pair of tap shoes. I bought me a $20 pair of tap shoes and a little square piece of plywood and I said I’m going to learn how to tap dance. Mom coached me up the best she could. I’m sad to say she passed in March, but my daughter took over as my pageant coach and I came home with a crown.”
Goodin, who lives in Jonesboro, will represent the state in the Ms. Senior America Pageant, which will be held Oct. 11-16 in Atlantic City.
“I get to go to nationals now and one of the really neat things is it’s held in Atlantic City and I will compete on the exact same stage that I grew up watching all those Miss America pageants and my friend Debbie Turner, Miss America,” she said. “I get to walk on that same stage and, hopefully, not trip and fall. We’re going to knock on wood that’s not going to happen. But, we get to go on that same stage and compete so I get to meet women from all over the United States.”
Goodin will hold the crown until the next Ms. Arkansas Senior America Pageant, which is planned for next June.
“It’s a great opportunity for ladies of excellence, the age of 60 and up. It’s a great opportunity to meet new ladies and travel around the state,” she said. “To compete, what’s awesome is all you need is a little evening gown. You need to be ready to do an interview, which is before the pageant so you don’t actually have to do the interview on stage. Then, you do a little philosophy of life and then you do a talent.”
