Tabitha Crain was crowned as Miss Missouri Saturday night in Mexico at the 56th Miss Missouri pageant, and she is already prepared to hit the ground running Monday morning — starting with promoting her community service initiative.
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Miss Missouri 2026 will barely have time to soak in her win before the real work starts.
Tabitha Crain was crowned as Miss Missouri Saturday night in Mexico at the 56th Miss Missouri pageant, and she is already prepared to hit the ground running Monday morning — starting with promoting her community service initiative.
“My CSI is entitled S.P.U.R., and I advocate for survivors of domestic violence after my own experiences,” Crain said. “When I was a freshman in college, I was a victim of a very violent crime, but from that, I took a lot of growth and I brought that to the Miss America Organization to make a difference.”
Crain said her past shaped the way she viewed the world.
“In a way, it made me a little softer, and it made me view the world with a whole lot more empathy,” she said. “I spent years working in a domestic violence shelter and hearing other people’s stories. It really brings you back down to earth and reminds you what your priorities are.”
Crain, daughter of Tranna Shaughnessy and Terry Appleby, is a Strafford native who completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri. After taking a semester off to prepare for Miss America, Crain said she will continue her education in law school.
“I’m attending law school with the hopes of continuing to advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence through their child and family justice clinic,” she said.
For the last two years, Crain has been a runner-up, but she never let that stop her from chasing her dream of becoming Miss Missouri.
“Anybody in the top five would have been more than deserving to be Miss Missouri, and I am just so lucky,” she said.
Her persistence paid off — a message she shared with the women she represents.
“You never really know what’s on the other side of this,” Crain said. “These are the most talented, inspiring women I've ever met, but when you work hard and you truly allow yourself to be excellent, then that shows to everyone, and I’d encourage you to keep trying.”
As Miss Missouri, Crain said she will work to leave a legacy of improved domestic violence legislation that includes a renewed partnership between the Miss America organization and the Rape Abuse & Incest National Network.
“Something I'm advocating for right now in Missouri is a similar bill that was just passed in Tennessee,” Crain said. “Now, convicted offenders of domestic violence have to register similarly to if they were sex offenders so people can be educated and informed when they’re entering new relationships.”
After turning over her title, Miss Missouri 2025 Courtney Rowe said she is leaving the sash and crown in good hands.
“Tabitha Crain is the perfect example of everything this organization stands for,” she said. “She is a servant — that’s what she does day in and day out. She has a heart of service, and I know she’s going to do tremendous things.”
