From St. Mary’s County To The National Stage: Tabitha Spell Earns Miss Maryland Volunteer Sweetheart Title

MECHANICSVILLE, Md. — When Tabitha Spell entered the Miss Maryland Volunteer competition, winning a new title was not her primary goal.

For nine months, the Mechanicsville native had served as Miss St. Mary’s County Volunteer, using the role to support her community, learn more about herself and represent the place she has always called home.

Then, after placing third runner-up in the statewide competition in Frederick, Spell received an unexpected opportunity: the title of Miss Maryland Volunteer Sweetheart and the chance to represent Maryland on a national stage.

“I was truly just so overwhelmed with gratitude that it was something I got to do,” Spell said in an interview with The BayNet. “The last two weeks have been a little chaotic, but in the best way, because there are so many blessings going my way with this title.”

An Unexpected Honor

Spell has competed in pageants since she was 16, but she said her experience with the Miss Maryland Volunteer organization felt different.

The state organization is part of Miss Volunteer America, a service-focused pageant system that emphasizes scholarship, education, responsibility, volunteerism and empowerment.

“I really just wanted to get to know myself a little bit better, serve my community,” Spell said. “It was all about the experience for me, and the organization is full of really great people. I found such a home with them.”

Although Spell hoped to earn the Miss Maryland Volunteer crown, she said winning was not the sole reason she entered the competition.

“Obviously, I would have loved to win the title of Miss Maryland Volunteer, but it wasn’t my main objective,” she said.

Her third runner-up placement made her the highest-placing eligible contestant for the Miss Maryland Volunteer Sweetheart title, according to Spell. The honor now sends her to the National Sweetheart Pageant, scheduled for Sept. 3-7 in Hoopeston, Illinois.

The pageant is held during Hoopeston’s National Sweetcorn Festival, a community tradition with roots dating to 1941. Since partnering with the Miss Volunteer America organization in 2022, the National Sweetheart Pageant has welcomed representatives selected through state volunteer competitions.

“It’s a very small town, but it has a lot of heart and a lot of history,” Spell said.

Preparing On A Tight Timeline

The new title brought excitement, but it also came with an immediate challenge. Spell had only a short time to complete paperwork, attend appointments and prepare for the national competition.

Her required paperwork was due Aug. 10, shortly after she received the title. At the same time, Spell was participating in a previously scheduled music festival.

“I was trying to get all my paperwork in while I was doing this music festival,” she said. “It was kind of crazy.”

Spell credited the Miss Maryland Volunteer organization with helping her meet the quick deadline. With the paperwork completed, she is now focused on strengthening her interview skills and continuing to prepare her stage routines and walks.

“It’s just sort of a lot of appointments, a lot of meetings with people,” she said. “But I’m excited to do all of it.”

Her first official appearance as Miss Maryland Volunteer Sweetheart is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15, when she will sing the national anthem at a Southern Maryland Blue Crabs game.

For Spell, the appearance brings together two important parts of her life: music and her Southern Maryland roots.

A Southern Maryland Girl Through And Through

Spell was born and raised in St. Mary’s County and has lived in Mechanicsville for most of her life. She graduated from Chopticon High School before attending Elon University in North Carolina, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in 2025.

She has since returned to Southern Maryland and works as a defense contractor. According to her Miss Maryland Volunteer biography, Spell is a junior management analyst with KAIROS Inc.

She is also an independent singer-songwriter with strong connections to the region’s music community. Her previous accomplishments include being recognized as one of the nation’s top 15 contemporary collegiate singers through the National Association of Teachers of Singing and performing at the White House National Christmas Tree.

“I’m a Southern Maryland girl through and through,” Spell said. “Being able to bring that to something like pageantry is such a point of pride for me.”

That pride has been central to her journey as Miss St. Mary’s County Volunteer. Spell said wearing the county’s name during the state competition allowed her to introduce others to a part of Maryland that can sometimes be overlooked.

“Being able to compete wearing St. Mary’s County across my chest is such a huge point of pride for me because I feel like, especially in the world of pageantry, we really get forgotten about,” she said.

Spell views pageantry as an opportunity to educate people about Southern Maryland’s history, culture and communities.

“Part of why I compete is for Southern Maryland,” she said. “It’s to put us on the map. It’s to educate people about our rich history and our culture and be able to share the love that I have for this area with the rest of the state.”

Keeping St. Mary’s County At The Heart Of Her Reign

While Spell is eager to compete in Illinois, she said her greatest excitement comes from representing Maryland without losing her connection to St. Mary’s County.

“I’m the most excited to be a state titleholder and represent St. Mary’s County and represent the area on a bigger level and continue to give back to the community,” she said.

Spell plans to remain visible throughout Southern Maryland by attending community gatherings, supporting volunteer efforts and continuing the service work she began as Miss St. Mary’s County Volunteer.

“Even though I am a state titleholder, I still very much want to be a titleholder for St. Mary’s County,” she said. “I’m sure that you guys will be seeing me at community events, at volunteer events, giving back to the community.”

As she prepares for Hoopeston, Spell said the people and places that shaped her will remain at the center of her journey.

“Everything that I do, especially with this most recent title, has been to represent Southern Maryland well and to make Southern Maryland proud,” Spell said. “Being somebody who was born and raised here, it’s in my bones. I want to make them proud and represent them well in Illinois on the national stage.”

Spell is available to be booked for community appearances and musical performances. She may be contacted at missmarylandsweetheart2027@gmail.com or followed on Instagram at @missmdvolsweetheart.

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