By SHEALYN PRATT
On Sunday evening, the crowning of a new Miss Northwestern took place in Fellers Family Auditorium. This marked 60 years of the Miss Northwestern pageant here on campus.
Raegan Blything, originally from Pea Ridge, Arkansas, took home the award for Best Evening Gown and the title of Miss Northwestern 2027.
Blything has been in the pageant world since she was 12 years old. Most recently, she was named National American Miss Arkansas 2026. After years of competing in national pageants, she decided it was time for a new experience.
“I grew up in the NAM system and I have all the love for NAM, but I was ready for a new adventure, and I thought that Miss Northwestern would be the perfect fit,” she said.
As the titleholder of Miss Northwestern 2027, Blything will go on to compete in the Miss Oklahoma pageant in June. Beyond the pageant itself, Blything hopes to use her new title to make a difference in her community. For her community service initiative, she created “Feeding Futures,” a project focused on addressing food insecurity on Northwestern’s campus. Through the initiative, Blything hopes to establish at least two new food boxes on campus and encourages students to embrace a “take what you need, leave what you can,” mindset.
While earning the title of Miss Northwestern 2027 was a major highlight of the evening, the day held another special meaning for Blything. October 25 was not only pageant day but also her 22nd birthday.
“It was truly the best birthday gift,” she said. “When I woke up yesterday, I didn’t think, ‘Oh my gosh, it is my birthday.’ I was like, “It’s Miss Northwestern day,’ so I kind of forgot that it was even my birthday until everyone started singing to me.”
After the crowning, the celebrations continued, as the Miss and Teen contestants sang “Happy Birthday” to Blything before contestants took photos with friends and family.
The evening marked both a personal milestone and the beginning of her journey as Miss Northwestern 2027.