Sash class aimed at building confidence as Nollie Greystone is named Miss Juneteenth Arizona 2025

At the Miss Juneteenth Arizona pageant, Asia Jackson, contestant No. 1, described a Sash class she attends as a "safe space, [a] comfortable environment" intended to help shy contestants gain stage presence and confidence. "When they come into, the first session of Sash class ... they come in deer in headlights," Jackson said, adding that participants often do not know what to expect or who will be judging them.

Jackson said Sash class covers basics from walking and talking to stage presence and on-stage speaking. "From day 1, which is learning how to walk, learning how to talk, stage presence, it's all the things that you think you know until you actually have to do it on purpose," she said. She described the group as "small, but they're mighty," and said it is heartwarming to see participants move from shy to confident as they present on stage.

Jackson emphasized the pageant’s broader goals: beyond hair, makeup and clothing, organizers and participants look for contestants who can "bring awareness to her community" and show "passion" and "grit," she said. Jackson added that competitors perform different elements on stage — speaking, answering questions and dancing — that reflect what they learned in the class.

During the same remarks, Jackson announced the pageant winner: "Our 2025, Miss Juneteenth Arizona is contestant number 4, Nollie Greystone." The transcript does not specify additional details about Greystone’s platform, duties, or the pageant date.

The remarks reported here occurred during a session of the pageant; the size of the Sash class, the date of the event and other organizational details were not specified in the transcript.