Miss Mississippi 2023 begins at Vicksburg Convention Center
VICKSBURG, Miss. (WLBT) - Thirty-eight delegates from around the state arrived at the Vicksburg Convention Center Sunday morning.
They are competing for the title of Miss Mississippi 2023.
The 38 young women on this Miss Mississippi stage are aspiring attorneys, educators, entertainers, and business leaders.
Charity Lockridge, Miss Jones County, said, “I work for Nash Family Dentistry here in Vicksburg, Mississippi, so my work never stops. I see this every day. I work with patients every day, and I encourage them to take care of their teeth because you only get one set. After that, it’s done.”
“I’m a recruiter at Southern Miss, and so I do a lot of similar things that really help me prepare for this,” Miss Pine Belt, Vivian O’Neal, said. “You know I travel. I go to recruitment events. I know what it’s like to represent an organization, to recruit for an organization.
Katelyn Perry, Miss Biloxi, said, “I’ve been competing in this organization since I was 12 years old. That’s more than half of my life and the skills that I’ve been able to cultivate in that time frame. I wouldn’t have been able to develop those in any other capacity.”
Miss Mississippi 2023 began Sunday with the arrival of the delegates, who go right into rehearsals for the first night of the preliminary competition, which gets underway Wednesday night.
This year there is a new category — Health and Fitness. The delegates will take the stage in activewear.
Miss Hattiesburg, Angel Gail Lang said, “I think everyone has a different vision of their own fit, and I think that’s what Miss America Fit means and embodies. I’m excited to see all the girls show their own side of it, and I’m excited to do mine.”
Miss Mississippi 2022 Emmie Perkins says celebrating 90 years of changing lives in this state will be exciting for the delegates and supporters.
“I think the most important thing is inspiring the people around you and remembering that this crown isn’t about you. It’s about the ability to serve and the impact that you have serving others,” said Perkins.
Returning this year are the following:
- First Alternate - Charity Lockridge, Miss Jones County
- Second Alternate - Vivian O’Neal, Miss Pine Belt
- Third Alternate - Katelyn Perry, Miss Biloxi, and five of the semi-finalists from 2022.
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