Annie Zhao crowned Miss Tennessee Teen Volunteer 2023

Annie Zhao was crowned Miss Tennessee Teen Volunteer 2023 on June 16, 2022, at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, Tennessee. The native of Memphis succeeds Reagan Strange, Miss Tennessee Teen Volunteer 2021, and becomes the first Asian American titleholder representing Tennessee in the Volunteer America system (as last year in the Tennessee USA System). She was awarded $2,000 from the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Organization, which will be contributed towards her education at the University of Virginia. She wants to become a leader in medicine as an OBGYN to advance healthcare for women and children. Beginning her path to becoming a healthcare professional, she has won several science competitions, conducted environmental health research with the University of Memphis, and edited genes through CRISPR-CAS9 with the University of Tennessee.

Her platform is Discover Your Path, which encourages the youth to discover their true professional passions as well as who they truly are. Annie has founded two journalism associations and interviewed over 50 professionals for her long-time established platform. She is dedicated to gathering life and career advice from a diverse range of professionals to share with students across Tennessee. She hopes to unveil the incredible opportunities waiting for the youth in the real world, some of which may not even be known to students yet.

Her talent is the violin. She enjoy creating music on her violin or playing with different groups practicing a large variety of repertoire.

 She also enjoys helping her community and spreading joy in any way she can. She has devoted over 500 hours to the people around her.

As a strong advocate for childhood literacy and racial injustice, Annie has committed to impacting as many people around her as possible. Having struggled with literacy as a child, she is determined to mitigate the obstacles she had experienced for others. Annie has instructed English to students in and outside of the US since she was 14! One of her most important events was the deliverance of the Stop Asian Hate speech regarding racism to hundreds of Tennesseans. She hopes her message representing AAPI youth made a difference in changing hearts and minds!

She firmly believes in the motto “it is never too late to start any journey”!