Will Houston County make pageant history again? Here are some of the 2026 contestants for Miss Georgia. 

HOUSTON COUNTY — The history of beauty pageant winners from Houston County is rich, including a 2016 Miss America winner. This month, 10 local young women will compete to be crowned Miss Georgia or Miss Georgia’s Teen. Community service is a core part of their lives, and a crucial factor in the 81-year-old competition. 

Their involvement in STEM education, disease awareness, volunteering and more are a vital component of the pageant process. Each participant gets to choose their cause, dubbed a Community Service Initiative by the pageant.  

According to the Miss Georgia website, the competition dates back to 1944. Over the years, the pageant went from a single outdoor contest to now a multi-day event located in Columbus, Georgia. 

The website said the Miss Georgia Scholarship embodies values of empowerment, education, leadership, community engagement, excellence, diversity and inclusion, integrity, respect and acknowledging generosity. 

The pageant is a stepping stone for the Miss America Pageant. Two Miss Georgia winners have been crowned Miss America. Neva Jane Langley of Macon won in 1953, and Betty Cantrell of Warner Robins was crowned in 2016. They were both graduates of Wesleyan College in Macon.

Miss Georgia hopefuls are 18-28 years old and must turn 18 by the time of state competition. Miss Georgia’s Teen contestants are 14-17 years old and must be 14 by the time of the pageant. 

The participants must be a U.S. citizen, female, have no legal dependents and must reside, go to school full-time or be employed full-time in the state of Georgia. The HHJ recently met and spoke with most of the ten pageant hopefuls about their Community Service Initiative. One participant declined to be featured. 

Savannah Bassett, 19: Miss International City, Stempact: Advocacy for STEM Education

After losing her uncle to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Bassett said the lack of resources in the Veterans Affairs departments and science mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM) fields inspired her to start her initiative. 

Bassett’s main goal is to advocate for more focus on STEM education in elementary schools.   

“It brings leadership, problem solving and communication skills to students that will impact them for the rest of their lives,” she said.

She now attends the University of Alabama, which she credits with having outstanding connections to the Alabama Mental Health Department. 

Layla Dykes, 17: Miss International City’s Teen, Celiac Disease Awareness Project 

Dykes has lived with Celiac disease for ten years and based her initiative on explaining what her disease is due to lack of information about it. She said there are more people allergic to gluten than when she was first diagnosed. 

Dykes hosted these drives and has hosted a 5k. She said the entry fee was five gluten-free non-perishable items. All items have been donated to the Lindsay Student Support Center and local food pantries across the county. She also has a proclamation signed by Mayor LaRhonda Patrick. 

“May 16 is officially National Celiac Awareness Day in Warner Robins,” she said. 

Sophie Jenrette, 16: Miss Houston County’s Teen, Inclusion Theatre for Actors of All Abilities 

Jenrette is active in Houston County High School’s theatre department and her community service portion ties into one of her passions. 

Inclusion Theatre for Actors of all Abilities is inspired by Houston County School District’s Butterfly Project. She said the initiative gives students with disabilities a chance to get into the theater environment to help them learn useful skills. 

The Butterfly Project is only offered from third to twelfth grade. Going forward, Jenrette hopes to expand it to all ages. 

“I’m super blessed to be able to bring the idea that I get to represent the Houston County School District from my county is amazing,” she said. 

Hannah Shaw, 18: Miss Warner Robins, Family Matters 

Shaw is the youngest Miss Warner Robins in over 80 years and was adopted nine days after birth. Her Community Service Initiative delves into the way that children are treated by their parents. 

“I really try to work on fixing and making sure our family units are healthy and make sure the youth are safe outside of school,” she said. 

Locally, Shaw works with Priss and Frank Family Center participating in donation drives and hopes to continue working with them after the pageant. 

Kyndall Walker, 17: Miss Warner Robins’ Teen, Lifted-Teen

Walker said she made her initiative when her uncle passed away due to gun violence. 

Lifted-Teen is focused on gun violence prevention, mental health awareness and youth mentorship. 

“I’ve been able to talk with [Warner Robins] Mayor LaRhonda Patrick, Congress and been able to advocate on behalf of Sandy Hook Promise,” she said. “I’m really excited to go onto the Miss Georgia stage and show off my community service initiative to the state of Georgia and represent my hometown.” 

Walker’s message for Lifted-Teen is “gun violence is not political, it’s personal.” She said the advocacy doesn’t start with being crowned Miss Georgia’s teen, but rather elevates it. 

“The work doesn’t stop even if I win or don’t win,” she said. 

EmmaKate Broome, 19: Miss Emmanuel County, Growing Georgia: Empowering Youth in Agriculture

With Broome representing a very rich agricultural area in Emmanuel County, her initiative delves into getting more youth involved in agriculture. She said the area she represents has many hog farms and a notable timber industry. She also attends Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. 

“I go into classrooms teaching kids about 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) in middle and high schools,” she said. “You don’t have to grow up on a farm to be involved in agriculture.” 

Kameron Griffith, 18: Miss Rome’s Teen, Compassion to Action: Promoting Youth Volunteerism 

Griffith first volunteered when she was six years old and said she quickly realized the benefits. Now she advocates to get more teens involved in volunteerism. Griffith said Rome, Georgia, has a large community service presence and wants to implement ways she can have community service involvement in her hometown. 

“I see community events and how everybody comes together to support special needs or volunteers within the community, and this area is ready for that because we do have a heavy service and volunteering.”

Taylor Kate Ransom, 14: Miss Coastal Empire’s Teen, Champions Together with Special Olympics 

Through her initiative, Ransom will spread the importance of inclusion as well as volunteering with the Special Olympics. She got inspiration when her cousin was born with Down syndrome. 

“As a big cousin, I felt like it was my job to protect my cousins and make sure everything is good for them,” she said. “I go around to different classes, especially with the younger generation and tell them why it’s important for inclusion.” 

Ransom has already made an impact with Operation Furry Friends, a non-profit she started at six years old collecting pet supplies and blankets for local animal shelters.

Madison Walker, 17: Miss Greater Atlanta’s Teen, Making A Difference 

Walker’s community service involves giving underserved communities around Georgia the resources they need. Since she represents such a huge area in Atlanta, she hopes to help children in both large urban and rural areas. 

“With the amount of officials in Atlanta, I’ve been working with so many organizations to get my community service initiative all across the state of Georgia,” she said.

Walker hopes to visit 50 schools as Miss Georgia’s Teen.  

Miss Georgia and Miss Georgia’s Teen will be crowned at the River Center for Performing Arts in Columbus, Georgia. Competitions begin Wednesday, June 17, with the finals beginning Saturday June 20.