The Miss Washington and Miss Washington’s Teen competitions help local ladies pursue their personal dreams with scholarship dollars, but it’s much more than that. It’s a commitment to community service – a way to help create a brighter future for everyone, to help others achieve their dreams as well. Fresh from their experiences at the Miss America competitions, Miss Washington 2025 Amber Pike and Miss Washington’s Teen Kendall Runyan are ready to help others during their year of service.
Experiences from Miss America 2025
“The Miss America Competition was an unforgettable experience!” shares Amber. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to represent Washington, advocate for the asthmatic community, and connect with so many inspiring women from across the nation. My favorite phase of competition was talent. Performing for one of the largest audiences of my life was truly exhilarating, and the energy in the room was electric.”
Amber says that while the competition was incredible, the unforgettable part of the journey was bonding with the other state titleholders. A self-professed life-long Harry Potter fan, she also loved visiting Universal Studios with her new friends.
For Kendall Runyan, a senior at Central Kitsap High School, attending Miss America’s Teen was life-changing. “I did so with so much pride,” she says. “One of my favorite memories was snuggling up backstage with the girls during Talent and Finals night. We would gather together, eat dinner, and the room was filled with so much love and support.”
Back from their adventures, both ladies are hitting the ground running to leverage their Miss Washington titles to help their communities over the next year.
Miss Washington 2025 Helps Launch Patient Advocacy Learning Initiative
As an asthma sufferer herself, Miss Washington 2025 Amber Pike is utilizing her year of service to help others through her partnership with the Allergy & Asthma Network, launching a new initiative called PALI – Patient Advocacy Learning Initiative.
“I am honored to serve as a patient and advocate council member for PALI, which aims to educate the public on current policies and developments related to asthma and allergies,” says Amber. “In this role, I will contribute to the creation of the PALI platform and provide insight from a patient’s perspective to ensure the tool meets the needs of the community.”
PALI will provide accessible and interactive learning modules to help others better understand and engage with asthma and allergy education, Amber explains. She says it’s a vital step for those living with asthma and those wanting to become advocates.
In addition to her work with the Allergy & Asthma Network, Amber is also partnering with ESD 113 here in Olympia, visiting classrooms and meeting students throughout the school year. “Living in Olympia has been such a wonderful experience!” she adds. “I’m eager to continue attending community events with Experience Olympia and exploring more of the city’s beautiful parks and natural spaces.”
Miss Washington’s Teen Continues Work with Her Nonprofit While Graduating High School and College
Clearly a master juggler, Miss Washington’s Teen Kendall Runyan is running her nonprofit Read to Achieve: Shaping Young Minds through Early Education as part of her year of service, graduating from high school and graduating from college through Running Start! She is earning both an associate degree in arts and an associate degree in business. “It’s been such an incredible opportunity to earn college credit while completing my high school requirements,” Kendall shares.
She plans on attending college in the fall, but has not decided where quite yet. “As of now, I’m deciding between the University of Alabama and Auburn University to pursue a degree in Marketing,” Kendall says. “My dad is an Auburn alumnus, but thanks to the Miss America Opportunity, I was awarded a Presidential Scholarship to the University of Alabama, so I’m still deciding if I’ll be shouting War Eagle or Roll Tide!”
Between life decisions, Kendall will use this year to further her literacy platform. “I’ve been in contact with elementary-level teachers across the state and am thrilled to begin classroom presentations very soon!” she says. “I’ll be speaking with students about literacy in their homes and classrooms, and how reading can prepare them for their futures.”
Kendall’s own experience growing up surrounded by books and the opportunities literacy afforded her is the catalyst behind her nonprofit. She hopes to help the next generations by promoting books and literacy. “Books taught me to dream big, stay curious, and explore the world through stories,” she says. “As I grew older, I realized not every family has the same opportunity to give their children that experience. My goal is to make literacy accessible for every family, no matter their circumstance.”
If you would like to book Kendall to visit your classroom for an early literacy presentation, fill out the appearance form on the Miss Washington Teen website or message her on Instagram.
But above all, she is just excited to be giving back, in any way she can, for the next year. “I’m so excited to simply serve Washington,” she says. “Becoming Miss Washington’s Teen has been one of my biggest goals for years, and now I have the chance to give back in a way that impacts not just me, but every person I meet along the way.”
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