Addison Grace Hadley

Addison Grace Hadley is grateful to have been raised by a village, and she aims to spend her reign as Miss United States - 2023, as well as the rest of the days that follow, building up villages everywhere for children in need.

A dual Master’s degree graduate from Vanderbilt University, Addison lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she works as a professional mental health counselor. Prior to her family’s move to Tennessee, Addison grew up on a farm in Tchula, Mississippi.

Addison became deeply invested in prison reform during her older sister’s incarceration, and she has written and proposed two legislative bills in the state of Tennessee, intended to improve the health and well-being of pregnant women during incarceration and to prevent closure of rural hospitals which provide emergency care to incarcerated persons. In 2018, Addison and her cousin founded “The Children’s Neighborhood Program,” an after school program to aid in socio-emotional learning for children who are unhoused. This program is loosely based on a television program featuring Fred Rogers and aims to provide a safe, stable place where children can learn and practice concepts such as boundaries, honesty, courage, and other prosocial behaviors. Addison’s efforts in these respective spaces have earned her two separate commendations from the Governor of Tennessee.

An advocate for every child’s right to health, well-being, and success, Addison’s latest endeavor to make a difference is to aid in the expansion of federal regulations regarding folic acid (folate) fortification of grain products. She is grateful to use her position as Miss United States to raise awareness about this cause, to start important conversations about fetal health, and to persuade legislators to take action.

Addison’s additional goals for the year are to make at least one child smile in all fifty states (and Washington, D.C.) and to be able to look back on the opportunity to serve as Miss United States and feel as though she truly made a difference. In her limited and precious spare time, Addison enjoys reading, baking, volunteering, studying toward her religious conversion, and cultivating meaningful relationships with those around her. Addison is guided by the belief that “it’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”