Meet the 2025 Miss Auburn candidates and their campaigns

Five candidates will compete to become Miss Auburn 2025, with the winner serving as the official hostess for Auburn University. From 7 a.m. - 5 p.m., candidates will represent their campaigns Wednesday through Friday and meet with students on the Haley Concourse. Voting will occur on Friday, Feb. 7 from 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. and the winner will be announced the same day at 10 p.m. on the Cater Hall steps.

Kendall Anderson

Kendall Anderson is a junior from Charleston, South Carolina studying wildlife sciences with a pre-veterinary concentration and has served various campus organizations, both SGA-related and major-specific. These roles include Freshman Forum, SGA, the War Eagle Girls and Plainsmen and various College of Forestry positions.

Anderson’s campaign is “Keep Climbing with Kendall,” focused on addressing the insecurities, setbacks and pressures that accompany being an involved student on Auburn’s campus.

“Life at Auburn is like a mountain hike. It is full of choices, challenges and moments where the trail isn’t clear," Anderson said about her campaign. "But every step shapes the journey and my goal as Miss Auburn is to empower students to navigate their own unique path."

Anderson’s campaign has three pillars: “The Path You Pursue,” “The Obstacles You Overcome” and “The Time You Take.”

The first pillar, “The Path You Pursue,” encourages students to discover what truly matters to them through spotlighting smaller organizations. By amplifying visibility and accessibility, Anderson believes students will align their passions and values on campus.

“The Obstacles You Overcome” reframes success and recognizes obstacles are stepping stones rather than roadblocks through implementing systems like constructive insights and personalized feedback for position applicants.

The final pillar, “The Time You Take,” facilitates understanding that finding one’s place at Auburn takes time. Anderson plans to host talks, panels and workshops where students can share their experiences of navigating uncertainty and eventually finding meaningful involvement.

Ellen Connell

Ellen Connell is a junior from Memphis, Tennessee majoring in law and justice with a minor in political science on the pre-law track. Connell currently serves as the Student Government Senate parliamentarian and works in leadership positions across campus.

Her platform, “Engage with Ellen,” is centered around sharing values and connections among Auburn Family members. Aiming to encourage relationships between students, alumni and the Auburn Family, Connell's campaign is based on the Auburn Creed stanza, “I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.”

“My Auburn experience has taught me that engaging with a stranger is an opportunity to form a connection,” Connell said. “It is an honor to share my heart for Auburn and its people through this experience, and I cannot wait to continue sharing my platform throughout this week.”

As a first-generation Auburn student, Connell, who formed many relationships through service, has witnessed the power of collective impact as her sorority Phi Mu's philanthropy chairwoman. Building relationships with Children’s Miracle Network Hospital representatives and families and collaborating with on-campus organizations like the Auburn University Dance Marathon inspired Connell to create a culture of service that engages and uplifts.

As vice president of outreach for Student Recruiters, Connell has also engaged with prospective Auburn students about what makes Auburn special, explaining her unique Auburn “why.”

Beyond on-campus service, Connell plans to strengthen bonds between students and Auburn’s alumni network to mentor and invest on-campus. Completing a summer internship in Washington, D.C. gave Connell insight into Auburn alumni’s passion, which will create personal and professional growth opportunities for all students.

“Auburn has an impressive alumni network seeking opportunities to engage with current Auburn students. Capitalizing on our alumni’s passion for investing in the current students would foster opportunities for personal and career growth, substantiating the idea of the Auburn family,” Connell said.

Sophie Marino

Auburn native Sophie Marino is a junior in exercise science with a minor in human development and family science with hopes to pursue a career in physical therapy. Involved on campus, Marino has served on SGA since 2022 and is currently the College of Education senator. In addition to SGA, she has served as vice president of Panhellenic relations for her sorority Alpha Delta Pi.

Marino’s campaign is “Soar with Sophie,” geared towards helping each student own every opportunity, ask for assistance and recognize another door opens when one closes.

“Throughout my time at Auburn, I have been blessed to have the support of those who have gone before me to help guide me along my path to leadership and service,” Marino said. “Through casual conversations, getting connected with local alumni and utilizing Auburn’s vast resources, I’ve been able to find opportunities that have allowed me to fuel my passion for leading and serving others.”

On the second night of Camp War Eagle, Marino’s passion for student connections and campus service began when Coach Bruce Pearl offered his personal email address to freshmen, promising to help them make the most of their four years at Auburn.

As Miss Auburn, Marino plans to incorporate this passion by helping each Auburn student soar.

“By continuing to foster self-directed student growth at Auburn, I hope to help students realize that whatever their goal may be, no matter how big or small, the sky is the limit and they can truly soar,” Marino said.

Riley Parman

Nominated by her sorority Delta Delta Delta, Riley Parman is a global studies major with a minor in hunger studies from Kansas City, Missouri. Parman's extracurriculars revolve around food security and international service, including Freshman Forum, SGA Director of Campus Dining and an undergraduate research fellow for Hunger Solutions Institute, a College of Human Sciences program working toward a hunger-free world at home and abroad. She has also represented Auburn at the Universities Fighting World Hunger conference at Cornell University.

Parman’s campaign “Rooted with Riley” focuses on empowering students to use their four years at Auburn to leverage their education to serve the university and the greater community.

“It is such an honor to be embraced as part of the Auburn family, first as a student and now as a Miss Auburn candidate,” Parman said.

Centered around the Auburn Creed stanza, “I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully,” Parman’s platform seeks to address college students' disbelief in their ability to solve big problems.

Parman believes this platform has shaped her time at Auburn and is an opportunity to advocate for and give back to campus.

“The Auburn experience provides the tools to create change in areas we care about, whether it’s politics, sustainability, athletics or beyond,” Parman said. “This platform encourages students to take action by using those tools to stay rooted in their passions, educations and campus community.”

Vera Smith T

Opelika native Vera Smith T is a biomedical sciences senior on the pre-medical track. As a student at Auburn, Smith T has served in various organizations, including her sorority Chi Omega, the Auburn University Orchestra and SGA.

Her campaign is “Raise Your Voice with Vera,” which is focused on the ability of the individual student to raise their voice and thrive at Auburn University.

Smith T wants each student to have the chance to pursue passions and dreams by encouraging students to discover those values through on-campus organizations.

“As Auburn students, every single one of us has given the chance to pursue our passions and dreams,” Smith T said. “I wish to encourage students to discover what they wish to pursue on campus and make use of the hundreds of organizations and thousands of connections that Auburn has to offer.”

Through facilitating student-faculty relationships, Smith T will equip students with the information and skills they need to discover their niche on campus.

Smith T will also encourage student relationships, friendships and mentorships that empower all to fulfill their dreams.

“The most beautiful part of Auburn is its unique and diverse community. Relationships gained in college are ones that can last a lifetime, and I want to remote student-peer mentorships and friendships,” Smith T said. “The wisdom and kindness of older students imparted to younger students serves to empower everyone to achieve their dreams.”