ST. PAULS — Victoria Huggins is a little nervous about competing in this week’s Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant.
The St. Pauls native said she would be a little crazy if she were not.
But Huggins is confident that she has what it takes to represent the state as the 2015 Miss North Carolina.
“I know that I have done everything that I could to prepare for this,” Huggins said. “I hope the judges see all the qualities of what a Miss North Carolina should be in me. I’m ready for the job.”
Huggins qualified for the state pageant by winning the inaugural Miss Greater Southeastern Scholarship Pageant held in Lumberton in March. That pageant was open to contestants from Robeson, Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Hoke and Scotland counties. It came with a $2,000 scholarship.
Huggins is not new to the pageant world. She was crowned Miss Central Carolina last year and was the third runner-up in the 2014 Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant. She was also crowned Miss Fayetteville in 2013.
“I’m very glad to be able to represent my hometown and my home county,” the 21-year-old said. “I’ve held other titles, but this is a chance to represent the place where I live and grew up.”
If victorious in Raleigh, the recent University of North Carolina at Pembroke graduate would advance to Atlantic City for the Miss America pageant on Sept. 13. Huggins has a degree in Mass Communications and plans to earn a masters degree in Media Law.
“A lot of people underestimate young women involved in pageants, but these women are awesome and know what they want to accomplish in life,” Huggins said. “Scholarship pageants have opened a number of doors for me and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
Huggins will head to Raleigh on Monday to begin rehearsals. She and 36 other contestants will be sequestered at Peace College for the week. The preliminary competition begins on Wednesday. The final night of the pageant will be held Saturday at Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium.
Huggins said her favorite part of the competition is talent. The former “American Idol” contestant plans to sing. Huggins will also be judged on evening wear, swimsuit, on stage-question and interview.
“The judges will take a combination of those scores to create the top 11,” Huggins said. “Those finalists will be announced on Saturday and then reduced to a top five, followed by Miss North Carolina being crowned.”
The public will have an opportunity to pick one of the top 11 contestants.
To vote, visit the page of a Miss North Carolina contestant and watch her video. The contestant who receives the most combined views on twcnews.com and Time Warner Cable Local On Demand Channel 1020 will be named the 11th finalist on June 20.
Huggins hopes people in her native Robeson County will support her with a vote.
“I want everyone to click on my video because every view is a vote,” Huggins said. “Last year, the viewers’ choice winner went on to become Miss North Carolina. It shows that anything is possible.”
Links to all 37 contestant videos are on the bottom of the Time Warner online page at www.twcnews.com/nc/north-carolina/miss-north-carolina/viewers-choice-voting.html. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.
Another Robeson County resident will participate in the Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant. Christin Oliver, then a senior at Lumberton High School, took home the teen title during the Miss Greater Southeastern Scholarship Pageant. She’ll vying for another title in the Outstanding Teen category of the statewide pageant.
“The opportunity to compete in this year’s Miss North Carolina Outstanding Teen pageant is unbelievable,” Oliver said. I realize just how blessed I am to not only be chosen to be Miss Greater Southeastern Outstanding Teen but to represent my home area as well.”
The top five Miss Outstanding Teen contestants will be chosen Friday. The Outstanding Teen competition will not be televised, but the winner will be announced at Saturday’s event.
“My goal is to make my community proud of me by doing my absolute best and hopefully that will result in me bringing the Miss N.C. Outstanding a Teen crown to the Greater Southeastern community,” Oliver said.
