By: Jenny Castro
Los Ángeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 08-20-2026
Crowned Miss America’s Teen last fall, this past year has been an experience of a lifetime for 19 year old Tess Ferm. Hailing from South Carolina, Ferm has had the opportunity to attend multiple events, speak at schools and various organizations, and utilize her platform “Fear Into Freedom” to help spread food allergy awareness across the country.
As she will soon crown her successor in the upcoming Miss America pageant next month, Ferm looks back at her pageant journey and discusses her future plans. “I’ve been competing since I was 10 years old,” Ferm said. Pertaining to her pageant inspiration, she further adds, “One day, I was helping clean out a box in my grandparents’ room because they were moving. I then came across a box filled with crowns my mom had won when she was younger and remember thinking how beautiful they were.” Inspired, Ferm’s journey into pageantry began as she started competing in various pageant systems before eventually finding her way to the Miss America organization. Her path took a significant step forward when she won Miss South Carolina’s Teen in 2025 and eventually Miss America’s Teen. Now in its 20th year as a sister program to Miss America, Ferm became the 20th titleholder to hold the crown. During her year of service, Ferm made the decision to take a gap year from school, dedicating her time to her responsibilities as Miss Carolina’s Teen and preparing for the opportunities that came with the title. As her reign comes to a close, she looks forward to continuing her education at Samford University in Alabama.
Reflecting on the past year, Ferm offers insight into the experience, sharing, “I took a gap year, so I was able to be highly focus on my responsibilities and make the most of every opportunity that came with this title,” she said. Adding,“The first thing I did was go on a trip with Rebel Athletic, one of our sponsors for fitness. We went to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and did photo shoots for their couture lookbook. We were there for a week, and I learned so much about Puerto Rican culture. The experience really opened my eyes to the fact that there are so many different cultures and perspectives out there. I’m from the South, so I’m used to what I know, and it was special to learn about different people and their experiences. That became a theme I took away from this year, meeting all sorts of different people and understanding new perspectives. This year taught me a lot about human connection and how you can learn something new from anybody simply by listening to them and their stories.”
Regarding Ferm’s advocacy platform, the cause is deeply personal and hits close to home. She explains, “I grew up with life-threatening food allergies. Specifically to tree nuts and sesame seeds, and now I’m just allergic to tree nuts. I’ve carried an EpiPen with me my entire life. My older brother, Jack, who is 24 now, was born with six of the top nine allergens, and his main one was dairy. It was really a struggle growing up, and obviously, that was a very formative experience for us, especially for my mom as she had to take care of three children with food allergies at the time.” Titled “From Fear to Freedom” Ferm’s platform advocates for food allergy awareness, drawing upon her own lifelong experiences in hopes to educate others about the realities of the condition while empowering others with hope, education, and understanding.
“I decided that we can be fearful, but there’s something really beautiful about going through a traumatic experience, coming out on the other side stronger, sharing your story, and being able to advocate for younger people and others who are going through the same thing you once did. I decided that would be my freedom. So, turning fear into freedom has been a theme throughout this year, but also throughout my entire life.” Ferm has also become a national spokesperson for FAACT (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team), where she has helped raise awareness with the organization, “With FAACT, I’ve been able to speak at conferences, and was able to be a counselor at two separate allergy camps for children ages five to 13. Getting to mentor them has been really special, and I plan to continue doing that into college and throughout my time as a young adult. I’m also very interested in lobbying, so advocating for legislative change is another area I’m passionate about and definitely plan to pursue,” Ferm said.
When asked what the word “Beauty” means to her, Ferm had a thoughtful perspective as she shares, “True beauty is vulnerability,” she said. Adding, “ At the end of the day when you’re vulnerable and you’re able to talk about experiences and hardships that you’ve been through especially as a woman it makes people feel less alone and that’s where I see true beauty because you’re advocating for something that you’re passionate about. I also think beauty is a lot of different things, but I think true beauty does come within, not to be cliche. I think at the heart of it is being vulnerable and sharing parts of yourself that you wouldn’t normally share.”
When it comes to other challenges facing young people today, Ferm believes addiction is a major concern. Drawing from what she witnessed during her own school years, she hopes to use her platform to support and encourage those who may be struggling. “I saw it a lot at school, which is sad. But it’s also very rewarding to see people struggle with this and then get to be a part of their story, talk to them and help them. I think that’s a big issue facing teenagers and young adults today. I think there are a lot of people who want to help them, and I am one of those people, so I’m excited to be a leader in that aspect,” she explained.
Loving every moment of her Miss America’s Teen experience, Ferm looks back with gratitude and shares what the Miss America organization means to her, ““This experience has been unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I truly believe the girls are what make it so incredible. At the end of the day, we are all so different physically, mentally, and spiritually, yet we’re able to come together and share this experience. There’s really nothing else like it as each girl has her own unique community service initiative, passions, interests, likes, and dislikes. So, getting the opportunity to step into an interview room or even spend time together during rehearsals allows us to learn about one another and understand each other’s backgrounds and stories. That’s what makes this experience so special. It’s been incredible to build those connections and be surrounded by so many inspiring young women.”
Visit the Miss America official webpage here to learn more.
Follow Miss America’s Teen on Instagram here.
Tess Ferm official Instagram
