Decked out in ball gowns and sequins, 15 contestants walked under the stage lights in the annual Miss Oglethorpe pageant on Saturday. They were supported by nearly 100 family and friends who packed the high school auditorium.
New leadership meant changes to the program, including a category for contestants under the age of 2.
Madison Norton entered her daughter, 16-month-old Taya Cochran, in this year’s pageant. Cochran won Miss Red, White and Blue.
“The time that I got to spend with her was really fun,” Norton said. “I got to get away and go through practices with just her, and do the pageant with her just today.”
The program featured a formalwear introduction, where older contestants spoke for themselves, a casual wear walk and the crowning of the new queens.
OCHS sophomore Neveah Calhoun won Miss Oglethorpe High School, the biggest title of the night, as a first-time contestant.
“When I was up there, I didn’t even know it was me,” Calhoun said. “I was just confident in myself, but it was really good.”
Behind the scenes at Miss Oglethorpe 2025: backstage and crowning
(Photos/Jennifer Xia)
Beyond the glitz and glamour of pageantry, the pageant’s director said the Miss Oglethorpe program is about service.
“We raised a lot of money and did a lot of good, and we'll be able to do a lot of good, and look forward to all the community service that we're gonna be able to do this year,” Cara Sexton said.
The pageant raised a total of $4,871 for local organizations, and clubs and sports at Oglethorpe County High School; $1,200 of that will go toward the queen’s selected organizations.
Contestants also helped raise money through advertising sales, two of which won the Miss Red, White and Blue title for most sales. Abby Irwin and Taya Cochran each reached $1,145 in sales.
The newly crowned queens will spend the year working with the community, from volunteering at the local animal shelter to spending time with seniors at Quiet Oaks. They will also attend all local parades.
Three reigning queens were also honored with another year under the tiara for their continued dedication to the program.
Kamryn King and Jayda Huff, former Miss Spirits of Oglethorpe 2023, were honored in a surprise announcement as Miss Oglethorpe Ambassador and Miss Legacy Oglethorpe, respectively. Montana Barner, Miss Red, White and Blue 2023, was announced as the new Miss Spirit of Oglethorpe.
“Those queens have gone above and beyond in everything that they have done for Miss Oglethorpe,” Sexton said. “They put in three years, showed up to everything, and their community service hours are innumerable.”