Ella Ross Crowned Miss Midtown Teen Volunteer 2026
Saturday, September 26, 2025, was definitely a night to remember as Ella Ross posed on the Evergreen Theatre stage in Memphis for the first time after being crowned Miss Midtown Teen Volunteer 2026. Just last month, Ella shared with Hatchie Press her journey to the State Volunteer pageant next June, which hopefully will lead to a national pageant. For now, Ella is savoring the moment she heard her name called and the title of Miss Midtown Teen Volunteer she now holds.
“The moment I heard my name called was so surreal. My heart immediately dropped, and my eyes filled with tears. It was a moment I had been praying for so when it actually happened, I started crying tears of happiness,” said Ella.
For her talent, she sang “Colors of the Wind” from the movie Pocahontas. Ella shared a fun fact about her song choice.
“I have never seen the movie before, I just loved the song’s melody and lyrics,” said Ella, who won the teen talent award for her performance.
Ella’s pageant platform is “Wonderfully Made” – Empowering young girls and women to find confidence within themselves. It is one which is extremely special to her and comes from personal experience. Ella has seen personal growth from participating in pageants and hopes to be the influence to someone that her younger self needed. Her personal growth has also been recognized by those close to her, like her parents.
“Ella hasn’t always known that full well [that she is wonderfully made] and struggled with a lot of self-doubt. She has said that she wants to be someone to others that her younger self needed,’ said her mother, Ashley Ross. “She came up with this [her platform] on her own and based it on the scripture verse Psalm 139:14, which read, ‘I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well’. Through pageants and community service, I have seen her come out of her shell and share her testimony and her talent with others. It has made her grow in her speaking skills, her confidence and ultimately, in her faith. I am amazed by her!”
Ashley describes hers as a baseball family. When Ella decided to participate in the pageant world, Ashley admits she was clueless. Ella entered and won her very first pageant in February 2025.
“She was told, then, that she had a lot of talent and what it takes. We hired a pageant coach who we love dearly, and she has truly helped Ella’s confidence and skills,” said Ashley, who noted the hardwork and passion she sees in the pageant girls. “Let me just say, beauty pageants are not just about beauty! These girls work so hard and practice and study and serve/volunteer and on the day of the pageant, it’s nonstop with five to six wardrobe changes, interviews, talent and nerves all at the same time. I have a new-found respect for girls who are in the pageant world. I have watched my boys pitch some tough baseball games, but nothing compares to the nerves you have when your daughter is on that stage during a beauty pageant,”
Ella is looking forward to her reign as Miss Midtown Teen Volunteer. Some of her responsibilities over the next year include being a mentor and making public appearances.
“The Tennessee Volunteer system partners with the Salvation Army and St. Jude. I will be participating in several volunteer opportunities with those organizations throughout the year and I will be giving back to my community through my platform, “Wonderfully Made”, said Ella. “I will also get the chance to be a duck master at the Peabody Hotel, which I am so excited about. In July, I will represent my title and compete at the state level in the Miss Tennessee Teen Volunteer pageant.”
Ashley now finds herself as a pageant mom, the good and positive supportive kind, and is excited about Ella’s upcoming opportunities.
“I am excited to see her continue to grow and be encouraged by her directors as well as her ‘sister queens’. I am excited for the opportunities that she’s going to have to serve and use her talents. And, as nerve wracking as it is going to be, we are all excited about the opportunity to compete at the state level in the Miss Tennessee Teen Volunteer pageant held in Jackson, Tennessee next summer,” said Ashley.
“I am so thankful to be wearing Miss Midtown Teen Volunteer across my chest and representing that title at state,” said Ella. “I have a lot of amazing things planned during my reining year and I am so excited for the year to come!”
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