Four Hub City-area contestants began preliminary competition on Wednesday night in their bid to become the next Miss Mississippi. Forty-five young ladies from across the state arrived in Vicksburg on Sunday for a week full or rehearsals, interviews and public appearances prior to the preliminary competition. A winner will be crowned Saturday night at the Vicksburg Convention Center during a televised show beginning at 8 p.m. on your local NBC affiliate.
Local contestants include:
• Mary Margaret Hyer, Miss RiverBend
Hyer’s platform is Advocate, Celebrate, Donate: Decreasing the Donor Organ Deficiency. For the talent competition, she will give a vocal performance. Hyer, of Hattiesburg, is a cum laude graduate of the University of Mississippi, May 2018, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in vocal performance. She will enroll in law school in the fall.
• Macy Mitchell, Miss Hattiesburg
Mitchell’s platform is Communities Against Cancer. Currently a student majoring in Criminal Justice at the University of Southern Mississippi, Mitchell is a resident of Petal. She will sing during the talent portion of the competition. She will sing for her talent.
• Macken’z Smith, Miss USM
Representing the black and gold of Southern Miss, Smith is from Philadelphia. Her platform is Skin Cancer Prevention Awareness. Her major at USM is audiology, which she hopes to earn her doctorate in.
• Katelyn Elizabeth Brown, Miss Natchez Trace.
From Richton, Brown’s platform is Mental Health Awareness. She is a student at The University of Southern Mississippi where she is majoring in medical laboratory science. For her talent, she will tap dance to “Sing, Sing, Sing.”
