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By Guy Page
Vermont’s representative in the Miss America Pageant may not have brought home the crown, but Miss Vermont 2025 Sophia Parker stood out on the national stage for her dedication to service — both to her country and to Vermont’s wildlife.
Parker, 26, of Addison, is a registered nurse in the University of Vermont Medical Center’s emergency department and a sergeant in the Vermont Army National Guard, where she serves as a combat medic. She credits her grandfather, a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and received the Purple Heart, with inspiring her own path of service. “One of the things that always stuck with me [was] how he was a part of something bigger than himself,” Parker told Fox News in an interview before the pageant.
That spirit of service carries over into her work with animals. Alongside her mother, Julianna, Parker operates Otter Creek Wildlife Rescue, a nonprofit dedicated to the rehabilitation of injured Vermont birds and mammals. She is also the youngest licensed wildlife rehabilitator in the state. Through her Miss Vermont platform, “Wildlife Rehabilitation and Stewardship of the Natural World,” Parker hopes to work with legislators and conservation groups to strengthen protections for wildlife and expand the state’s network of licensed rehabilitators.
Fellow wildlife rehabilitators say Parker’s national recognition is a point of pride for their entire community. “It’s inspiring to see someone who not only cares for animals day in and day out, but also takes that message to a stage as large as Miss America,” said Anne Kendall, a longtime rehabber in Rutland County. “She’s showing the country that Vermonters put their hearts into caring for the natural world.”
“Sophia has been a role model since the day she got licensed,” added Mark Johnson of the Vermont Wildlife Rehabilitators Association. “She combines professionalism and compassion in a way that really reflects well on all of us.”
Parker earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Castleton University in 2024 and says she plans to use her year as Miss Vermont to encourage others to embrace service in all its forms. “Service is such a blessing both to those who receive it and those who give it,” Parker said. “One of my goals is to inspire Vermonters of all ages to find their passion through service and causes near and dear to their own hearts.”
In a September 7 interview with Fox News, Parker also urged all Americans to come together. “Between the left and the right… there is a ton of division,” she said. “However, one thing that I think is very important is for people of all different opinions from both sides and everyone in the middle to be able to come together and have the baseline be that we need to speak to each other with respect. We need to hear each other out.”
Although the Miss America crown ultimately went to Miss New York, Cassie Donegan, Parker’s performance gave her the chance to share her vision for a united nation, her family’s legacy of military service, and her passion for Vermont’s wildlife with viewers across the country.
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Categories: Society & Culture
Thank you so deeply for your commitment to the health and healing of both people and those who have no voice – the animals of VT.
A great story and quite an accomplished young woman. Appreciate her vision for the future including her comment “However, one thing that I think is very important is for people of all different opinions from both sides and everyone in the middle to be able to come together and have the baseline be that we need to speak to each other with respect. We need to hear each other out.” Something that has been lost over the last 25 or so years, with a push for a uni-opinion blocking out any view that is not to the Left. Applaud her accomplishments and life so far.
I am VERY proud of this young lady. Why? She was a student of mine at the basic leadership course for the military. She was very smart and looked after her peers. It was an honor, SGT Parker.
Bravo Zulu young lady.
I am very proud of this young lady. She was a student of mine a couple of years back in the Army Basic Leadership Course. She is very smart and was always looking out for her peers.
SGT Parker, it was an honor to be your instructor. You learned your lessons well.
Thank you for your service on three fronts, and for representing our state. My dad and uncle were “Timberwolves” (Army 104th Infantry Division) and my uncle was in the Battle of the Bulge. Thursday is 9-11: “Never forget.”
The Night Watch
By Ellin Anderson
When you retire to cozy beds
By moon or lantern light,
Please pray, with bowed and reverent heads,
For those who guard us through the night.
The soldier, sailor, and Marine
Have sworn eternal watch to keep;
The airman, cop, and guardsman, keen
Of eye and mind, shall never sleep.
The wise owl and the silent moth,
The cat, the bat with sonic song
Hold vigil barring nighttime sloth,
Like those who keep our country strong
Against the wolf, the rat, the bear
Who prowl when all sleep sound and fast,
Who shun the clear, undaunted stare
When morning breaks at last.
The troubled writer’s wakeful watch,
The nighthawk’s jaunts to doubtful fame,
The drunken painter’s long debauch —
Bleak nights are guarded all the same
From deep, state-crafted public lies,
From banishment to icy blame,
From terror with a holy name,
And fire from the skies!
Thank you so much for covering this inspiring story ! I’m disappointed that the majority of Vermont press has let such an inspirational and amazing women’s accomplishments go without exposure. Our world needs more people like Sophia in it .
Dedicated to country , people and wildlife doesn’t get better than that .
Couldn’t agree more about her inspirational story! What a remarkable young woman