Contact: Brad Hill

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Fifteen women are seeking the title of Miss Mississippi State University 2018.

Taking place Friday [Sept 29], the annual pageant gets underway at 7 p.m. in Lee Hall’s historic Bettersworth Auditorium.

General admission is $15; $10 for enrolled MSU students with identification. Tickets may be purchased online at events.msstate.edu/tickets or from the Center for Student Activities in Colvard Student Union, Suite 314.

The winner will represent the university next summer in the Miss Mississippi Pageant in Vicksburg. The winner there advances to the Miss America Pageant.

In addition to Mississippi, this year’s contestants include residents from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Illinois. Listed by hometown, they are:

BLUE SPRINGS—Freshman Rachel Shumaker, a communication/public relations major and the daughter of Donna and Don Shumaker. She will perform on the piano to “Piano Fantasy.” Her platform is Ahead of the Curve - Scoliosis.

BOYNTON BEACH, Florida—Junior Rontier Whitfield, a fashion merchandising major and the daughter of Crystal Pugh and Anthony Whitfield. She will perform a piano and vocal rendition of “Feeling Good.” Her platform is Tackling Insecurities and Regaining Esteem (T.I.R.E.).

BUFORD, Georgia—Senior Christana Landress, a broadcast meteorology major and the daughter of Cecelia Kay Landress. She will be performing a baton routine to “Defying Gravity.” Her platform is Eyes on the Sky.

DECATUR, Alabama—Junior Victoria Matthews, a biochemistry major and the daughter of Steven Matthews and Philisha and Jonathan Stephens. She will perform a vocal rendition of “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” Her platform is Volunteer with Passion.

GREENVILLE—Senior Jona Barron, a finance, risk management and insurance major and the daughter of Janice Stanford. She will present a dance performance of “Who Am I.” Her platform is Math for Mississippi.

LEROY, Alabama—Senior Hannah Lynn Daugherty, a communication major and the daughter of Tony and Gina Daugherty. She will present a vocal performance of “I’m a Woman.” Her platform is Give a Heart: Become an Organ Donor.  

LUCEDALE—Senior Callie Brown, a biological sciences major and the daughter of Steven and Dorene Brown. She will perform ballet en pointe to “Fuego.” Her platform is America’s Tooth Fairy.

OLIVE BRANCH—Junior Sydney Slocum, a kinesiology major and the daughter of Les and Trina Slocum. She will perform a tap dance to “Blue Suede Shoes.” Her platform is Showing the World that Impossible is Really “I’m Possible.”

NEW AUGUSTA—Senior Chelsea Bolton, a kinesiology major and the daughter of Doris Moody and Edward Bolton. She will present a vocal performance of “Colors of the Wind.” Her platform is Confidence Builds Dreams.

SHANNON—Senior Alivia Paden Roberts, a communication/broadcasting major and the daughter of Kenneth and Teresa Fields Roberts. She will perform ballet en pointe to “Storm.” Her platform is Healthy Teens for a Better Mississippi: Teenage Pregnancy Prevention.

STUTTGART, Arkansas—Sophomore Hannah Oliver, is a fashion merchandising major and the daughter of Erin and Lane Oliver. She will perform a tap dance to “One More Time.” Her platform is Multiple Sclerosis: Taking Steps Toward a Cure.

TAYLORSVILLE—Senior Kaci Bryant, a food science, nutrition and health promotion major and the daughter of Kim and Karen Bryant. She will perform “Nostradamus” on the piano. Her platform is H.E.A.L. (Healthy Eating for a Longer Life).

VICKSBURG—Sophomore Emily Tingle, a political science/communication major and the daughter of Jeb and Shelley Tingle. She will perform an instrumental piece “Swan Lake.” Her platform is 37 Books.

WEST POINT—Freshman Mikayla Poindexter, a special education major and the daughter of Alex Poindexter and Crystal and Rusty Sullivan. She will perform a dance to “Heart Cry.” Her platform is Integrating Dance and Athletics into the Lives of Special Needs Kids.

WINTHROP HARBOR, Illinois—Junior Samantha Neargarder, a communication major and the daughter of Tim and Melissa Neargarder. She will perform a baton routine to “All That Jazz.” Her platform is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

For additional information, call the Center for Student Activities at 662-325-2930.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.

(Photos by Russ Houston)