Nearly 100 young women are in Columbus this week, hoping to strut, sing and speak their way to the Miss Georgia and Miss Georgia’s Outstanding Teen crowns.
Metro Atlanta is well represented, with 17 of 54 Miss Georgia contestants from or representing the area. Meet some of your hometown girls, and maybe you’ll find a favorite to cheer on to the Miss Georgia crown on Saturday.
The pageant's preliminary and final competition can be live streamed on WRBL-TV's website for free. Preliminary competition starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Miss Georgia finals begin at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Miss Atlanta, Paula Smith
Hometown: Atlanta
Age: 20
School: Savannah College of Art and Design
Talent: Vocal
Fun fact: Although she’s getting her degree in fashion design, Paula has a “secret love” for astronomy.
Miss Augusta University, Dejah Johnson
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Loganville
Age: 20
School: Augusta University
Talent: Spoken word
Fun fact: She plans on becoming a neurologist.
Miss Capital City, Jameson Kenerly
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Jesup
Age: 21
School: University of Georgia
Talent: Lyrical baton twirling
Fun fact: She is a feature twirler at UGA.
Miss Cherokee Rose, Charlotte Hinton
Hometown: Marietta
Age: 20
School: Kennesaw State University
Talent: Tap dance
Fun fact: Her talent is dancing, but she loves singing showtunes in the car.
Miss Coastal Empire, Stephanie Gargiulo
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Snellville
Age: 23
School: Kennesaw State University
Talent: Tae Kwan Do
Fun fact: Her family parades around Atlanta with their goat every year.
Miss Cobb County, Chari Guzman
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Hiram
Age: 22
School: Georgia State University — Perimeter College
Talent: Vocal
Fun fact: She is a Beyoncé superfan and has been to almost all of the singer’s concerts in Atlanta.
Miss Conyers, Nia Simone Hampton
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Snellville
Age: 21
School: University of Georgia
Talent: Lyrical dance
Fun fact: She gets her best ideas between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Miss Coweta County, Gabriy’ela Garner
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Stone Mountain
Age: 19
School: Georgia State University
Talent: Piano
Fun fact: She’s a tennis player.
Miss Fitzgerald, Kelly Donoghue
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Marietta
Age: 21
School: University of Georgia
Talent: Vocal
Fun fact: She wants to be an attorney for the NFL.
Miss Fulton County, Alexa Gilomen
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Suwanee
Age: 20
School: University of Georgia
Talent: Vocal
Fun fact: She dreams of being a Christian music singer.
Miss Gwinnett County, Emily Harlow
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Snellville
Age: 20
School: University of North Georgia
Talent: Clogging
Fun fact: She loves hiking, especially at Preacher’s Rock in Lumpkin County.
Miss Harris County, Holly Haynes
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Suwanee
Age: 21
School: University of Georgia
Talent: Vocal
Fun fact: She wants to be a real-life Disney princess.
Miss Historic Buford, Annie Jorgensen
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Athens
Age: 21
School: University of Georgia
Talent: Jazz dance
Fun fact: Her goal is to be an anchor on “Good Morning America.”
Miss Kennesaw, Shannon Murphy
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Marietta
Age: 20
School: Kennesaw State University
Talent: Vocal
Fun fact: She wants to be a New York City taxi driver.
Miss Lake Lanier, Savanna Little
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Macon
Age: 23
School: Georgia Southern University
Fun fact: She loves crab legs.
Miss Magnolia, Courtney Hinesley
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Grayson
Age: 22
School: Kennesaw State University
Talent: Vocal
Fun fact: She is “obsessed” with pasta.
Miss Stone Mountain, Rosa Karina Campos
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant
Hometown: Buford
Age: 22
School: University of North Georgia
Talent: Vocal
Fun fact: She dreams of having her own makeup line.
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