Twirling, tiaras and textbooks: Miss Georgia Southern graduates early and heads for medical field

Gracie Allen, a biochemistry major, has had quite the journey leading up to her Georgia Southern University graduation.

The feature twirler with the Southern Pride Marching Band, a national champion baton performer and the reigning Miss Georgia Southern University, Allen has become a recognizable face on campus. However, long before this, her path toward medicine started at home. 

When Allen was a little girl, her grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer. Watching a beloved family member go through treatment inspired her to pursue a career in medicine at a young age.

“I always said I wanted to be a ‘baby doctor,’” she recalled. “That’s what I said when I was very little. I always knew I wanted to work with kids in medicine.”

Allen explored colleges beyond her Savannah hometown, but something kept pulling her toward Georgia Southern. From the beginning, Eagle Nation felt like home.

Throughout her days at South Effingham High School, she was able to shave off nearly a full year’s worth of college credits thanks to dual enrollment classes through Georgia Southern. This allowed Allen to graduate with her college degree halfway into her senior year of college.

Additionally, she was able to join Eagle Nation early thanks to being selected as a featured twirler for the Georgia Southern football team.

Allen’s mom is a dance studio teacher, and that put her on big stages where she competed and won national competitions. However, her love of dancing never compared to her passion for baton twirling, and that talent has taken her places she never thought she’d be able to go.

She began twirling at 11 and rose quickly, becoming the Southern Pride Marching Band’s feature twirler as a high school senior. Now in her fifth and final season, she’ll take the field one last time at a bowl game this month.

This role proved to be pivotal to her college success.

“Twirling taught me a lot of the hard work and determination and multitasking that was needed throughout college,” said Allen. “It’s also allowed me to travel to multiple places for competitions and with the team. Those life lessons have been so valuable.”

Her involvement with the band quickly became one of the defining experiences of her college years. From daily rehearsals to performing in front of thousands at Paulson Stadium, Allen said the discipline and time management she learned through twirling has shaped her academic and professional development.

“It can all definitely be challenging at times, for sure,” she said with a laugh. “And it hasn’t always just been the perfect experience. But I’ve always loved education. Earning my biochemistry degree and doing well in my classes allowed me to reach the full career goal.”

Her performance background also opened the door to the state’s pageant circuit.

Despite very little background in pageantry, Allen passionately worked for the title of Miss Georgia Southern University as an opportunity to spread awareness and support for adoption and foster care systems, which is a platform she cares about.

“I was adopted at the age of six months from Kazakhstan,” she said. “It’s a huge and crazy part of my life. My parents went overseas, and it led them to the agency that worked with Kazakhstan, and I was the first one that they were shown. So it’s just really cool to see how all those pieces come and work together, and then to be brought here.”

This year, Allen was crowned Miss Georgia Southern University and competed at Miss Georgia, which became one of the highlights of her time as a student. Her twirling skills helped her win the Preliminary Talent at this competition.

During her year of service, she continued volunteering with organizations she already loved, including Royal Family Kids Camp, a Statesboro-based program for children in foster care.

“It’s been a huge honor to be able to represent this University,” said Allen. “I’ve grown so much here over the past years. I’ve met some of my best friends. I’ve been able to grow both education-wise and personally. Being able to represent the school has meant so much, truly.”

Through all of this, Allen has pursued a career in pediatric oncology and has already completed both pre-med and pre-PA requirements. Inspired by her parents’ belief in never turning away a child in need, she hopes to support young patients and their families through some of the toughest battles of their lives.

Allen said her time at Georgia Southern has been fast-paced and marked by opportunities she embraced wholeheartedly. But above all, she describes this season with one word: thankfulness.