Greta Clark has a busy few weeks ahead of her.
In addition to starting her sophomore year at the University of Missouri in Columbia, where she is studying health sciences, Clark, 19, of Eureka is preparing to compete against 51 other women for the title of Miss America’s Teen.
The 2026 Miss America’s Teen competition will be held Sept. 2-7 at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts in Orlando, Fla., during the second week of Clark’s classes at Mizzou. Clark said it’s unfortunate she’ll miss some of her classes for the pageant, but the chance of winning life-changing scholarships and making lifelong friends is worth the extra homework.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Clark said. “The Miss America organization has been around for more than 100 years. It’s so special to me because I grew up watching the competition.”
Clark began competing in local pageants when she was 12 years old, following in the footsteps of her mother, Dana, and older sister, Grace. At first, the pageants were a good way to help her step out of her shell, later turning into an opportunity to win scholarships to pay for her education.
Clark said she was an extremely shy child. While the performance portion of the pageants was relatively easy, considering she’s been dancing since she was 3, Clark said the one-on-one interviews were nerve-wracking.
“I didn’t want to order my own food at restaurants,” she said. “I was horrified of even having a conversation, so this really pushed me. I did my first (pageant) though, and I loved it.”
Each year of competition, Dana said her daughter kept improving, racking up more and more wins such as Rookie of the Year, Best Evening Gown and Best Overall Talent.
Clark was crowned Miss Missouri’s Teen on June 14 at the Missouri Military Academy in Mexico. The pageant is open to girls 13-18 years old and takes a week, from start to finish. The girls compete in five rounds: interviews, evening gowns, fitness, talent and on-stage questions.
“I’m so impressed by her,” Dana said. “I think she set really strong, realistic expectations the very first year. She set herself up to be the best version of herself and went in with the best mindset.”
Miss Missouri’s Teen
Clark said she didn’t remember much about winning the Miss Missouri’s Teen crown.
“I watched the video back, and I can hear the emcee saying, ‘Try and take in this moment,’” she said. “There was so much adrenaline, I really could not tell you exactly what I was feeling. I’m sure I started crying just because I knew that I had worked so hard for years, and I was with all my friends on the stage. They were all cheering me on. It was something just so special, knowing that I had the support system on stage and all my family and friends in the audience.”
Greta Clark, second from left, was recently crowned Miss Missouri’s Teen 2025. From left is her mother, Dana; sister, Grace; and father, Patrick.
Since the state competition takes a week, Clark said she was able to form close friendships with many of the other competitors. Many of the same girls compete year after year and see each other at various other pageant competitions.
The competitors got ready together each day in the military academy’s weight room, Clark said.
“We are really close within the group because we’re spending rehearsals with each other, competitions with each other,” she said. “It feels less like a competition and more like just having fun, especially if you go in with the right mindset and you’re willing to talk to those people.”
As Miss Missouri’s Teen, Clark won $8,000 in school scholarships. She also received multiple sponsorship opportunities, which will help her buy a new wardrobe and makeup services for the Miss America’s Teen competition.
Dana said she competed in the same pageants in Illinois when she was Clark’s age.
“That’s how I paid for college,” she said. “You could be a runner-up and get $500. Obviously, school wasn’t quite as expensive as it is now, but it really helped me pay for my education. It’s something that’s super important to me, and I feel like it helped me grow as a person.”
For the next year, Clark will carry out her community service initiative throughout Missouri, called “Empowering youth to strengthen communities.” She said the initiative is about volunteerism.
She recently partnered with an organization called JustServe, which helps connect service-oriented people with volunteer opportunities through an app.
Fighting misconceptions
Clark said people outside the pageant world often have misconceptions about the women and girls who compete. She said the Miss America organization has some of the most educated and talented women she’s ever met.
“I think a lot of times people think pageant girls are all airheads and only care about their looks,” Clark said. “These are educated women who are taking a step to really push for their future, especially when it comes to scholarships. They’re putting their future ahead of them, putting themselves out there to attain their future.”
Clark graduated from Eureka High School in 2024. While in school, she was the treasurer for the National Honor Society and participated in the Golden Line dance team, show choir and the Sparkle Squad, which is an extension of the Best Buddies program.
At Mizzou, Clark said she’s in the Honors College and the Novak Leadership Institute, along with being a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority and the Dental Club.
She works at the Borello & Rieser Dental office as a hygiene assistant, “polishing those teeth and taking those X-rays,” she said. Clark plans to attend dental school to become an orthodontist after finishing her undergraduate degree.
Dentist Clare Borello said Clark exhibits confidence and leadership. While Clark didn’t have any dental experience before joining her practice, Borello said she worked hard and learned quickly.
“We were very proud of her (when Clark won Miss Missouri’s Teen),” Borello said. “She’s very driven. She’s extremely sharp, and, at the same time, she’s blessed in that she’s very kind and humble. I think she’s going to have a lot of gifts to give everyone as she goes forward.”
For now, Clark said she’s focused on the competition in Florida. She’s met with a few other women who are competing, and she said she’s excited to meet the rest.
“I’ve already been messaging a bunch of them back and forth, just getting to know them,” Clark said. “It’s my favorite thing about it, now I have sisters in every state. If I need to fly to Wyoming, I have a place to stay for the night. There’s always someone who’s going to be there for me.”