Empowerment with Elizabeth · Elizabeth Swindell

Miss New Hampshire Volunteer 2026- Sophia Sargent

October 9, 2025·20 min·2 clips

Sophia Sargent, Miss New Hampshire Volunteer, breaks boards with her black belt in karate as her pageant talent.

Sophia starts with the basics. She is from Bedford, New Hampshire, answers to both Sophie and Sophia, and came to pageants at 24. Her route was not the usual one. She studied homeland security at the University of New Hampshire, then after the pandemic decided to pursue TV and radio. That part of her story carries through the whole conversation. Hosting, reporting, social media, and other public-facing work taught her how to present herself, market herself, and bring people into what she cares about. Elizabeth lets the story breathe before moving into the work of being a state title holder and getting ready for Miss Volunteer America. The best detail may be the glittery board stands. Sophia talks about figuring out how to get them from New Hampshire to Jackson for a board-breaking setup, which gives the episode a nice dose of real-life pageant logistics. Competition prep is not all polish. Sometimes it is packing, planning, transporting awkward things, and adjusting when the plan gets weird. When Elizabeth asks why judges chose her, Sophia points to fresh perspective. She came into pageantry later than many contestants, but she does not treat that as a drawback. She ties it to broadcasting, social media, self-presentation, and her interest in getting people excited about pageants in New England. From there, the conversation opens up. The title is about more than a crown. It can mean events, volunteering, relationships, public speaking, scholarships, and doors that were not there before. Sophia keeps returning to impact. She sees a chance to pair what she brings with what the title makes possible across the Granite State and beyond. Her advice at the end is plain and useful: say yes, stay present, take breaks when needed, and remember that personal well-being affects public work. Elizabeth closes with steady support. The episode lands as an encouraging look at starting late, preparing carefully, and using a title for service and growth.

As heard by us

A warm pageant interview that finds its best lane in practical prep and lived-in confidence.

Empowerment with Elizabeth follows Sophia Sargent, a Bedford, New Hampshire title holder whose route to Miss Volunteer America runs through broadcasting, radio, modeling, and a pageant career she began at 24.

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Why you'd press play

A pageant-prep chat that also covers broadcasting, modeling, and community service.

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