Next week 47 contestants from all over the state, including Jasmine Chardae Hughes of Greenwood, will be heading to Vicksburg to compete in the Miss Mississippi Pageant.
Hughes, a student at Tougaloo College in Jackson, was crowned Miss Tougaloo in a preliminary pageant back in January.
She is a Dean's List and All-American scholar; a recipient of the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters and the TVII Foundation scholarships; and has also been listed in "Who's Who Among College Students."
She is currently majoring in humanities with a minor in mass communications, and is also very passionate about theater. Hughes hopes to one day break into broadcasting or acting.
Outside of school, Hughes also works part-time as an on-air personality at Jackson's WJMI 99.7 radio station.
Her talent at the pageant will be a dramatic recitation of "Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes. Oratory is not considered a traditional talent in the pageant world, but her performace impressed judges in the preliminary competition.
Hughes' platform is Global Awareness Starts Here, which is a project that is "designed to increase awareness on such issues as global poverty, famine and homelessness," according to Hughes.
Hughes considers humanitarian work to be a full-time job and she has gained a lot of experience and leadership skills through her time spent involved in volunteer programs, fund-raising and mentoring.
Last summer, Hughes spent six weeks working at the Huruma Centre in Nkubu, Kenya, where she helped with community development projects such as sanitation engineering, construction, AIDS/HIV awareness programs, recreational activities and tutoring.
The pageant week will begin July 8 and the competition will be held July 10-14 at the Vicksburg Convention Center.
This is Vicksburg's 50th year to host the pageant.
The Miss Mississippi Pageant, which will be hosted by Michael Young, will end on the night of July 14 with the crowning of Miss Mississippi, who will then go on to compete in the Miss America pageant next year.
For more information about Jasmine Hughes or the pageant, or to purchase tickets call 601-638-6746 or visit the event's Web site at www.missmississippipageant.org.
