MUSKEGON, MI – For the next year she’ll be known to most across the state as Miss Michigan, but Ann Arbor teacher Hannah Palmer said the title she’s most familiar with is “Miss Palmer.”

Palmer, of Brighton, was crowned Miss Michigan 2025, during the 86th annual scholarship competition on Saturday, June 14, at the historic Frauenthal Theater in downtown Muskegon.

As Miss Spirit of the State strode onto the stage Saturday night, many of her third-grade students were in the crowd supporting her.

Miss Michigan 2025 is Miss Spirit of the State Hannah Palmer

“I love you Miss Palmer” rang out from the audience as she wowed judges in a sparkling blue evening gown and performed a spoken word monologue about being an educator.

Through that HerStory talent, she brings her students on stage with their signatures on a school desk she uses as a prop. Palmer said we all have a teacher who believed in us and inspired us.

I want to “be that leader, be that shining light and that role model for so many,” she said shortly after being crowned by outgoing 2024 Miss Michigan Jenae Lodewyk, formerly Miss Bay County.

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Palmer won the elegance in interview award Saturday night for speaking about the late Rita Pierson, an educator for 40 years with a popular Ted Talk, who she said embodied the idea that teachers can change the world.

There were 22 contestants when the scholarship competition kicked off Thursday, June 12, with the preliminary round of awards.

The competition continued Saturday with the top 11 finalists gracing the stage to share their social impact initiative, answer an on-stage question, perform talent and model evening wear.

Miss Michigan 2025 first awards go to Miss South Central, Miss Spirit of the State

This was Palmer’s fifth year competing for the Miss Michigan crown. She said she was at a loss for words after winning.

“All night, I just felt a big sense of peace and a sense of accomplishment,” she said. “I just feel so calm and ready and excited to serve the state of Michigan.”

Palmer is in her third-year teaching at Ann Arbor Public Schools. In addition to the title and crown, winners of the Miss Michigan competition receive a $10,000 scholarship and the opportunity to compete in the Miss America scholarship competition.

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As a 2022 graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and teaching, Palmer plans to use the scholarship money to earn her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction.

As a mental health advocate, Palmer has long had an interest in social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculm. Each competitor has a service initiative as part of their candidacy. Palmer’s is the Sunflower Project, a nonprofit she founded in response to her own mental health journey.

The Sunflower Project provides students with educational resources like scholarships, awards grants to help cover psychiatric services, nurtures support group networks focused on mental health and advocates for social-emotional learning curriculum.

Now, Palmer said she hopes to use her title to reach more Michigan students, sharing mental health resources and advocating for social-emotional learning – or the idea that students develop social/emotional competencies while growing academically.

“I’m so excited to go visit as many schools as possible and share these resources with students all over the state,” Palmer said, “so that way they can learn how to identify (and) process their emotions.”

According to a post by Ann Arbor Public Schools, Palmer has distributed over $10,000 in SEL resources and psychiatric care grants across seven counties, even partnering with American television network MTV for its Mental Health Action Day.

In a post on Facebook supporting her, Ann Arbor Public Schools wrote that the district is “behind her all the way!”

Miss Michigan 2008 Ashlee Baracy-Kunkel served as the mistress of ceremonies during the competition.

This year’s judges were Haley Williams-Pepper, Becca Hatinger, Kevin Foley, Alexis Robertson and Will Gray.

The final score was composited of 30% from the preliminary score along with new scores of 20% from talent, 20% for health and fitness, 20% for evening gown and 10% for the on-stage question and social impact.

Other scholarship winners included first runner-up Miss Ludington Area Natalee Urbon, second runner-up Miss South Central Lacy Jewell, third runner-up: Miss Washtenaw County Madalyn Poupard, and fourth runner-up Miss Greater Kalamazoo Lauren Mroczek.

In addition to the scholarship of $10,000 to the title winner, the competition’s runner-up receives $4,000, with $3,000 to the second runner-up, $2,000 to the third runner-up, $1,500 to the fourth runner-up, $1,000 to the other five semi-finalists and $500 to non-finalist contestants.

On Friday,of the three-day Miss Michigan Scholarship Program, Libbie Tacia, of Big Rapids, was crowned Miss Michigan’s Outstanding Teen 2025 on Friday.