Memories were made this past week.
Maggie Nelms, 24, and Makenzie Sasnett, 14, both said the best part of participating in the Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant in Raleigh this week was establishing friendships.
“It was a lot of fun,” Sasnett said. “I met a lot of new friends.”
Out of 33 contestants vying to be Miss North Carolina, Nelms finished among the top 10.
“I had a wonderful week,” she said. “… and the girls that were in my group, I adored.”
A Lumberton lady won the coveted title for 2013.
Jessica Murphy, executive director of the Miss Kinston-Lenoir County Pageant, attended the program with the two winners of the local pageant.
“The Miss Kinston-Lenoir County Pageant Association commends Maggie and Makenzie for outstanding performances this week,” she said. “Our community was well represented by two beautiful and talented ladies.”
Sasnett said she was thrilled to be on a big stage in front of a large audience. The event was held at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.
“The stage was just so overwhelming,” she said.
The South Lenoir High School student participated with 33 contestants in the Miss North Carolina Outstanding Teen Pageant. A Fayetteville contestant won the teen competition.
“Makenzie is a rising junior at South Lenoir,” Murphy said, “and proved that she belongs in any discussion about intelligence, poise and talent among her peers.”
The pageant awards scholarships, encouraging young ladies to pursue a college degree.
“(The pageant) enables you to be successful in any field,” said Nelms, who is a second-year dental school student at ECU. She plans to earn a doctorate degree in dental medicine in 2015.
“Although Maggie is not a resident of Kinston-Lenoir County,” Murphy said, “she has embraced us with her volunteerism and regular community appearances. We are proud of her Top 10 performance at Miss N.C.”
Originally from Nashville and living in Greenville, Nelms said she plans to practice dentistry in the area, and definitely east of I-95.
“The main thing is that the Miss America program is great,” she said, “because it can be a catalyst.”
The week of pageantry events created an ideal time for her to network with other women, she said.
“Really,” she said, “being able to meet new people and girls across the state was the best part.”
Both girls performed ballet en pointe for the talent competition. Nelms danced to a different piece — one from Swan Lake — than she performed for the Kinston-Lenoir County Pageant. Sasnett said she did the same piece, but changed up the routine “a little bit.”
This is Nelm’s last opportunity to participate in the Miss America pageant.
But Sasnett plans to try again. The teen pageant is for ages 13-16.
“I have two more years,” she said, “so I’ll probably be back next year.”
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
