While many high schoolers work to balance their academics, sports, and social lives, a senior at The Hockaday School has added a few more jewels to her crown — quite literally.
Lily Roberts’ road to winning wasn’t paved with sashes and sparkles, but the 17-year-old has found her stride in pageantry, and she’s using it as a springboard for meaningful community service.
“It took multiple tries before I ever won a pageant,” she said.
After being mentored by London Hibbs, a former titleholder from Booker T. Washington High School, Lily finally struck gold, earning titles in Dallas, Fort Worth, Johnson County, and the Park Cities.
In September, she was crowned Miss Texas Teen Volunteer — a title that marked the beginning of a new chapter in both community impact and personal confidence.
Today’s pageants look very different from the swimsuit-centric platforms of the past, said the Hockaday track team captain and four-year varsity cheerleader. “The fitness segment now allows (us) to showcase personal health and athletic abilities,” she said, adding that the competitions have become much more substance oriented.
Although the dress-up dreams shared by many young girls have not been eliminated, they have been reimagined, she explained.
For the evening gown portion of the competition, Lily chose her yellow gown to represent both her favorite color and her sense of self.
“I wear the gown — it doesn’t wear me,” she said.
The high schooler, who became a Girl Scout in kindergarten, has racked up more hours of community service than many clock in a lifetime — recently earning the President’s Volunteer Service Award at the Gold Level. But it’s not the crown or the spotlight that fuels the former president of the National Charity League Silver Star Chapter.
“For me, it is not just about a specific platform. I want to show others that giving back can start anywhere — with as little or as much as you have to give,” said Lily.
During a recent visit to Bradfield Elementary to share her message with students, her words resonated with a third grader who, at first, didn’t think he had anything to offer.
“He said he was only into video games,” she recalled. “But I showed him how to start his own outreach by teaching someone why he loves playing them. Soon, he had established a philanthropic network of youth connecting with each other in a positive way.”
As Lily prepares to represent Texas in the Miss Volunteer America pageant this March, she remains grounded by her purpose.
“When I have the privilege of speaking to young students, I like showing them instead of telling them. It’s not a one-size-fits-all formula,” she said. “And if we meet others where they are and help unite mutual interests, the inspiration to learn from each other takes on a life of its own.”
“That’s the power of connection.”
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