An area native will represent Winona and Montgomery County at the 90th annual Miss Mississippi pageant in Vicksburg, beginning on June 5.
Krystle Hughes, 21, will compete in the pageant as Miss All America representing Team Tupelo.
“I’m vying for the title of Miss Mississippi,” said Hughes.
She will be one of 38 contestants participating in the Miss Mississippi parade in downtown Vicksburg at 7 p.m. on June 5, according to the Miss Mississippi website.
“This will give the delegates’ first impressions,” said Hughes.
The preliminary Miss Mississippi competition will begin at 7 p.m. on June 7 and continue through June 9, with the final competition concluding the week’s events at 8 p.m. on June 10, according to the site.
Hughes expects to join the other contestants in competition categories, including evening gown, interview and fitness.
“I will also perform my talent, which is dance, and I will be dancing to ‘Respect’ by Aretha Franklin,” said Hughes.
She said she feels “overwhelmed but excited” about her first time competing in a pageant of this scale.
“I will also perform my talent, which is dance, and I will be dancing to ‘Respect’ by Aretha Franklin,” said Hughes.
She said she feels “overwhelmed but excited” about her first time competing in a pageant of this scale.
“I think it’s happening at the right time in my life since I just graduated from college. It’s a good overwhelmed,” said Hughes. “I always get overwhelmed with everything I do because I always want to put my best foot forward in everything.”
While Hughes has participated in pageants since she was in fourth grade, she appreciates the Miss Mississippi pageant being a scholarship pageant – a benefit for her continued education.
The Montgomery County delegate graduated from Winona High School in 2019, before earning an associate’s degree in art and another associate’s degree in science at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
She then earned her bachelor’s degree in biological science and a minor in chemistry at the University of Mississippi.
Hughes said she hopes to win the title and scholarship to go toward her Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, which she will begin in the fall of this year.
She plans to focus on therapeutics and pharmacology.
Hughes is the daughter of Maverick and Katherine Hughes of Winona.
