Rustin Scarbrough is Mister Arkansas in the 2025 Mister USA competition, and he chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about his latest endeavors.
Mister USA competition
Mister USA is an American beauty pageant, which is held annually, and the winner goes on to represent the United States in the Mister Universe competition. It is a celebration of culture, diversity, beauty, intelligence and empowerment. They believe in the power of young leaders to make a difference in the world. It is not solely about outer beauty; it recognizes the inner beauty and intelligence of their contestants.
“I am excited to be a part of it,” Scarbrough exclaimed. “This opportunity is huge.”
Representing Arkansas
“To be representing Arkansas is a huge honor,” Scarbrough said. “I was born and raised in Louisiana but I grew up in Arkansas because my grandparents moved there when I was in second grade. So, I’ve spent all my summers and holidays in Arkanas.”
“I even spent my last Thanksgiving up there,” Scarbrough admitted. “The state isn’t known for a whole lot, but it is beautiful with some amazing natural resources. Other than that, my connection to Arkanas is the serenity of it. It is the ‘Natural State’ for a reason.” It is nothing but woodlands and animals. I grew up with a lot of animals.”
Most recently, Scarbrough noted that he left his job as a personal trainer. “For the last nine months, I was the Head Coach of a fitness studio in downtown Tampa, so I would teach classes of up to 36 people on running, rowing, and lifting. We would do all three in the same class, and I was also the Head Coach, so I had to upscale the other coaches and pretty much run the studio here. I was the face of the studio here, but I recently stepped down.”
“I am also a model,” he admitted. “I can’t wait to compete for Mister USA… I am looking forward to it. Even though I am 22 years old, I have the resume of a 26-year-old,” he said with a sweet laugh.
“I think I should win because I have a genuine message about something that needs to be addressed across the nation,” he said. “I’m still young, I’m 22, I just graduated college with a degree in Kinesiology and I have a lot of milestones behind me. I am excited to see where else I can take that and expand my sphere of influence in fitness education to get people moving. I would like to be another force to push that forward.”
Scarbrough had kind words about fellow Mister USA contestant Bryan Hawn, who is representing the state of Alabama. “Bryan Hawn is a good guy,” Scarbrough said. “It has been nice getting to know him. Bryan has helped me a bunch.”
Daily motivations
On his daily motivations, Scarbrough said, “Helping people is a big thing for me. I find my purpose in being of service to others. The way you can be of service to others varies; there are many ways you can do that for others. My main message and purpose in life is to inspire others to get moving and to partake in physical activities, this way it can help enhance their lifespans. I am a firm believer that physical fitness gives you more life.”
Advocacy for Mister USA
“I would love to use Mister USA to draw a little more attention to the public education system, which is in a sad state,” Scarbrough said. “In the last 10 years, the public education system, as a whole, has taken many hits. Arkansas has the second-highest obesity rate out of all the states, and it ranks in the 10 worst education systems.”
Superpower of choice
When asked about his superpower of choice, he responded, “I’ve always wanted to be able to teleport because then, you can be almost everywhere at once. You can be in multiple instances.”
“Also, not having to eat,” he said. “Always just having your nutrition down without having to eat would be amazing,” he said. “I would be able to save so much time that way. I hate sitting down and making food.”
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Jump”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Scarbrough said, “Success is your own personal standard. For me, it’s waking up and loving what I am doing. My version of success is working out, sleeping well, having good food, and helping others achieve their fitness goals. I really loved training people.”
Closing thoughts on Mister USA
For his fans and followers, Scarbrough remarked, “You have to help yourself no matter what it is in life because nobody else is going to help you. You can have all the potential in the world but unless you put yourself on the line, you are not going to go anywhere.
“You have to take that jump and move out of your state or city. Take opportunities not knowing how they are going to work out but don’t put yourself in danger,” Scarbrough concluded.
To learn more about Rustin Scarbrough, follow him on Instagram.
