Stephanie Barber was Miss Arkansas USA 2021

Hailing from Fayetteville, Arkansas, Miss Arkansas USA 2021 Stephanie Barber is a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas. She earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism and political science, along with a minor in legal studies. Barber plans on attending law school and hopes to become a federal judge and professor. Barber was an active student leader on campus during her undergraduate career and was awarded as one of the top 71 graduates out of her class of over 4,000 students.

Barber discovered pageantry at age 17 through social media. She competed in the Miss USA system as a teen for two years before deciding to take a break from pageants to focus on her university studies. She always dreamed of becoming Miss Arkansas USA and attended the pageant as a spectator for five years before signing up for the 2021 pageant.Barber was diagnosed with dyslexia at age six. She credits her parents and teachers for helping her to overcome her learning disability and empowering her to love reading. It is because of her passion for education that Barber champions children’s literacy across Arkansas.Barber founded the first collegiate chapter of Reading is Fundamental at the University of Arkansas. Reading is Fundamental is the nation’s largest children’s literacy non-profit. As president of this club, Barber organized a campus book drive for a local school that received over 3,000 book donations. She also created partnerships to donate literacy kits to elementary students.Stephanie believes in seizing every opportunity handed to her.

While studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, she bungee jumped off the tallest bungee jump in the world and sky-dived. Stephanie appreciates learning about herself and the world through traveling and has already been to 15 countries. She hopes to spend at least one year of her life living in another country.