Cover Story: Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization’s Mission to Fund Women’s Education

GBC students may be missing out on a scholarship opportunity that could change their lives forever. Joanna Talmo recently contacted Goldey-Beacom College to introduce herself as the new Executive Director for the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization. The Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization is the state’s pathway to submitting a Delawarean contestant to the national Miss America contest in Orlando, Florida. Curious about this scholarship opportunity, I contacted Joanna to arrange a one-on-one conversation about the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization, her role in the organization, and how it can benefit women students at GBC.

On November 12, 2025, Joanna stopped by GBC’s campus to discuss this scholarship opportunity in greater detail. Joanna was gracious in her personality and had a strong demeanor when describing this scholarship opportunity. Our conversation begins with Joanna emphasizing that the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization’s primary aim is to provide scholarship opportunities for young women in Delaware. According to a press release on the Miss America website, the national organization awarded nearly $300,000 in tuition scholarships in 2025.

Although those quoted figures are at the national level, Joanna refocuses our attention on the scholarship funding available at the local level in Delaware. “Each year, the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization proudly awards thousands of dollars in scholarship money to our titleholders,” stated Joanna. The scholarship portion of this story hits close to home for Joanna—she was Miss Delaware in 2018. “I was personally allowed to put $14,000 towards my educational goals because of this organization.”

Joanna was busy during her tenure as Miss Delaware. She was a full-time art teacher while competing in the national Miss America pageant. I asked Joanna what the scholarship funding meant to her at a personal level. In a heartfelt response, Joanna stated that the funding helped her with tuition and other educational expenses. It ultimately helped her finance a college education.

“I signed up on a whim, and it ended up working out really well in my favor,” said Joanna. “It’s just a fun organization.”

Her deep love for the organization is evident in her commitment to its ideals. Joanna says the Miss America brand has shifted away from its provocative days of swimsuit competition to a more holistic approach that values education and community service. These are ideals that resonate with a hard-working student who is doing their part to better themselves and society.

There are various phases of competition that women must compete in to earn the distinction of Miss Delaware. The stages of competition include a private interview, a talent display, a health and fitness component, an evening gown display, and an on-stage question. Interestingly, the private interview accounts for 30% of the scoring.

To become a participant, a woman in Delaware must meet the following criteria:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 28;
• Be a U.S. citizen;
• Be a female, and
• Fulfill one of the organization’s residency requirements

There may be additional eligibility requirements outlined in the contract; therefore, interested students should carefully review all documents presented to them regarding this scholarship opportunity.

What’s interesting about this scholarship is the plethora of opportunities available to earn scholarship funding. There are scholarship funding opportunities available for the top five overall winners in addition to the category winners. Joanna says even the smaller awards are meaningful to a student in need.

One of the more interesting aspects of this scholarship funding is that award recipients can use the financing judiciously during their educational studies. So, if a student wins $10,000, for example, they can decide when to use the funding. For example, they can spread the funding across multiple years or all at once.

Delaware’s current Miss Delaware is Hailey Mack, who is attending the University of Delaware. Her bio on the Miss Delaware Scholarships Organization webpage is impressive. She’s pursuing a baccalaureate degree in civil engineering with the intention of pursuing graduate studies in engineering. Her talent listed is color guard. Hailey also has a desire to empower women’s interest in the STEM fields.

Joanna pauses before saying that community service is not just a component, but a core tenet of this competition. “As I mentioned earlier, academics and community service are not just emphasized, but they are the heart of the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization.”

Joanna mentions to me that the national competition is no longer in Atlantic City, NJ. The national competition is in Orlando, Florida, usually in early September. Having an open schedule is necessary not only to win the competition but also to serve as an effective Miss Delaware. I astutely point out to Joanna that the University of Delaware has had a stranglehold on this honor over the last few years. (The previous few Miss Delawareans have been alumnae from the University of Delaware.) Joanna politely laughs and acknowledges this truth; Joanna confesses she’s also part of the problem, having graduated from the University of Delaware herself.

All jokes aside, Joanna is honest about the desire to expand the scholarship opportunity to women at GBC. “I know that there are many young women who are part of the Goldey-Beacom College Community who would not only greatly benefit from the scholarship and service opportunities but would thrive in this program as well.”

Joanna plans to work closely with the Student Affairs Office on scheduling tabling events to discuss this scholarship opportunity in more detail with interested females at GBC. If you’re a GBC student interested in this opportunity, we encourage you to express your interest by visiting https://missde.org/ for more information on how to begin your journey to the historic Miss America stage.

Miss Delaware competitors should also be aware that the College offers an institutionally budgeted scholarship specifically for Miss Delaware participants. This scholarship funding is available to undergraduate or graduate students and is renewable throughout their tenure at the College. Students who fall into this category should contact the Admissions or Financial Aid Office to discuss this opportunity in more detail.

Pictured above is Joanna Talmo, Executive Director of the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization.