Ashley Griffin, Angel Prince, Kenisha Sanders and Mimi Sheppard will be taking the stage on April 9 at the Leflore County Convention Center to compete in the Greenwood Miss Hospitality contest.
“Miss Hospitality is the tourism ambassador for Mississippi,” said Evonna Lucas, sales and marketing coordinator at Greenwood Mississippi Convention and Visitors Bureau, “and town ambassador.”
“It is our mission to cultivate future hospitality industry leaders,” Tonja Ray-Smith, director of Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau added. “Miss Hospitality is the perfect way to introduce them to the field.”
While the contestants may not be interested in the career field, they all joined for the same reason.
“We all want to make Greenwood sparkle,” Sheppard, a senior at Pillow Academy said. “And we are all worthy of doing it.”
“We want people to see Greenwood how we see it,” Griffin, a senior at Pillow Academy, added.
The question, what is there to do in the Delta, is often raised, said Sanders, a senior at Greenwood High School.
“I mean I didn’t know much about this place before I moved here from Chicago,” Prince, a senior at Greenwood High School, said.
“Which means we have to get better at getting the word out about Greenwood,” Sanders said.
Already bonafide spokeswomen for their town, the contestants are learning what Miss Hospitality really means.
“The word hospitality really caught my attention when I first got involved,” Prince said. “It means to not be afraid to show others your inner self, or in this case your town.”
These four will be faced with four competitions in which they will be judged by three judges from around the state.
First up will be the interview competition. They will be quizzed on their knowledge of the town’s history, as well as its attractions and offerings it has to the tourism industry.
“You mean we can’t just say ‘Come and see it for yourself?’” Sanders joked.
And the girls have done their homework, some having gone out playing tourist themselves, while others hit their grandparents’ banks of vast knowledge.
“We are really exploring all aspects of Greenwood,” Prince said.
They will also take part in the commercial contest, where they will be giving a 20 second commercial promotion for their community.
“This isn’t a beauty pageant; this is about them testing waters in the tourism industry,” Lucas said.
The girls will speak on attractions, events, community commitments and other positive aspects of the town.
“We are positive people, and we have a chance to represent Greenwood in a positive way,” Sheppard said.
As contestants, they will be participating in an evening gown competition, but the real test of Miss Hospitality will come with the talent contest.
“Every town, just like every one, has something that makes them unique,” Lucas said.
These girls are no different. Prince will be showcasing her personality and the town’s personality as she recites poetry for the judges.
Sheppard will take the stage with her hula hoop, a unique flair that will show off the comfort she has in her community and with her peers.
Sanders will play the saxophone, a sound very familiar in the Delta, which she has practiced for years.
And Griffin, after years of volunteering and having to be light on her feet, will showcase her dancing talent.
“It’s all about being positive and having fun,” Sheppard said.
The girls hold no ill will against each other and go into the competition as peers. The finalist will travel to the state competition held in Hattiesburg in July.
“We aren’t nervous,” Prince said.
“We are going in as friends,” Griffin said.
“And we are doing this for our town,” Sheppard said.
“To make the negative comments go away and show instead all we have to offer,” Sanders said.
•Contact Laura Kay Prosser at 581-7233 or lprosser@gwcommonwealth.com
