HANNAH FAITH GREENE• Age: 16• School: Girls Preparatory School junior• Parents: Marianne and Chris Greene.• School activities: Junior class representative for GPS' Partners in the Community service council; GPS Ambassador, GPS tour guide, Beta Club, Key Club, Health Club, GigBridge Spanish translator, computer science sixth-grade tutor, All-American cheerleader, track, Model United Nations delegate, Girl Scouts• Volunteerism: Glenwood Learning Adventure Days tutor, GPS Computer Science Community Service Club, Children's Miracle Network, Boys and Girls Club, Hydrocephalus Foundation, United Way of Greater Chattanooga, Salvation Army, American Heart Association, Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Chambliss Home
Hannah Faith GreeneThe number 3 is proving quite lucky for Hannah Faith Greene.
Of the 42 contestants in Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2015 pageant on Oct. 4, three of the top five finalists were named Hannah. The third Hannah to be called was crowned the pageant winner - and it was Hannah Faith, a junior at Girls Preparatory School.
The 16-year-old is the third Chattanoogan to win Miss Tennessee Teen USA (actress Rachel Boston and Macy Erwin preceded her). Before this pageant, she had won three titles since March: Tennessee Cinderella Teen 2014, Tennessee/Kentucky Sunburst overall winner and Ringgold 1890 Days overall winner.
Hannah Faith, who does go by the double name, is a statuesque, 6-foot, brunette who maintains a 4.0 grade-point average while active in a dozen extracurricular school activities and volunteering for 10 nonprofits. Although she has played piano for 11 years, talent wasn't a preliminary to winning Miss Tennessee Teen USA. Contestants were scored in evening gown, swimwear and interview.
"From the first time I met her, she was so impressive. Not just her beauty - she is 6 feet tall, a gorgeous young woman - but she goes to GPS and has great academics, plus she plays piano," says Rodney Hullender, Scenic City pageant director and a stylist at Splash Salon.
"I said she could have a huge future in pageants if she really wanted it, and if she did, I would help her get there. Every day she checks in with me about her physical fitness and how much she has practiced her talent," he says.
"She is a captivating young lady - obviously beautiful, intelligent and poised," says Kim Greenwood, executive director of Miss Tennessee USA and Miss Tennessee Teen USA. Greenwood says those strengths will serve her well in next summer's national contest, a production televised by Donald Trump and NBC Universal pageants.
She will now advance to the Miss Teen USA pageant, to be held at Atlantis Resort in Nassau next summer.
Hannah Faith says she only started competing in pageants this spring. She's not in it for the tiara and title; she's planning ahead for college funds. And her immediate success on the pageant circuit hasn't changed her, she says.
"I haven't changed at all. I focus on what true beauty is, and that comes from the heart."
Q: How many years have you competed in pageants? What interested you about pageants?
I've been competing less than a year. The first pageant I competed in was March 2014; I was fourth runner-up at Tennessee's Outstanding Teen, which is part of the Miss America organization.
What interested me most were the opportunities to make a difference in my community. GPS instills a heart for community service in its students, and being a titleholder has given me limitless opportunities to serve others. My favorite thing about being a titleholder has been my ability to encourage and inspire others to get involved in their communities.
Also, I would like to attend Vanderbilt, so I needed scholarship money and a way to make myself stand out in the college application process.
Q: With three Hannahs in the final five, did that cause any confusion during the announcement of winners? Did you all three tense up expectantly?
Yes, the top three were named Hannah; but they call the winner by her title and mine was Scenic City, so no confusion.
Q: What was the most difficult question you were asked during the judges' interview?
I was asked "If piano is your passion, why do you want to pursue being a doctor instead of a professional pianist?" The judge wanted me to follow my passion.
My onstage question (as a finalist) was how I would use social media during my year of service. My answer was "to promote and inspire community service."
Q: Do you have a pageant coach?
I have a director with Scenic City Pageants, Rodney Hullender, who helped me win this huge state title in less than a year. He isn't a pageant coach but someone who believed in me and led me to the people who could help me be successful. He was impressed with my academic success at GPS and my piano-playing. He has been a daily encourager and friend through this process.
Q: What's next? How will you prep for the national pageant?
The same way I did for the state - healthy lifestyle, including nutritious meals, and lot of exercise at Pure Barre and D1. I'll practice walking and study for potential interview questions.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.