Miss Georgia 2017: Meet the metro Atlanta women vying for the crown

Miss Georgia 2016 Patricia Ford will crown her successor Saturday night at the Miss Georgia pageant.

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Miss Georgia 2016 Patricia Ford will crown her successor Saturday night at the Miss Georgia pageant.

Nearly 100 young women are in Columbus this week, hoping to strut, sing and speak their way to the Miss Georgia and Miss Georgia’s Outstanding Teen crowns.

Metro Atlanta is well represented, with 17 of 54 Miss Georgia contestants from or representing the area. Meet some of your hometown girls, and maybe you’ll find a favorite to cheer on to the Miss Georgia crown on Saturday.

The pageant's preliminary and final competition can be live streamed on WRBL-TV's website for free. Preliminary competition starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Miss Georgia finals begin at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Miss Atlanta, Paula Smith

Miss Atlanta, Paula Smith

icon to expand image

Hometown: Atlanta

Age: 20

School: Savannah College of Art and Design

Talent: Vocal

Fun fact: Although she’s getting her degree in fashion design, Paula has a “secret love” for astronomy.

Miss Augusta University, Dejah Johnson

Miss Augusta University, Dejah Johnson

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Loganville

Age: 20

School: Augusta University

Talent: Spoken word

Fun fact: She plans on becoming a neurologist.

Miss Capital City, Jameson Kenerly

Miss Capital City, Jameson Kenerly

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Jesup

Age: 21

School: University of Georgia

Talent: Lyrical baton twirling

Fun fact: She is a feature twirler at UGA.

Miss Cherokee Rose, Charlotte Hinton

Miss Cherokee Rose, Charlotte Hinton

icon to expand image

Hometown: Marietta

Age: 20

School: Kennesaw State University

Talent: Tap dance

Fun fact: Her talent is dancing, but she loves singing showtunes in the car.

Miss Coastal Empire, Stephanie Gargiulo

Miss Coastal Empire, Stephanie Gargiulo

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Snellville

Age: 23

School: Kennesaw State University

Talent: Tae Kwan Do

Fun fact: Her family parades around Atlanta with their goat every year.

Miss Cobb County, Chari Guzman

Miss Cobb County, Chari Guzman

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Hiram

Age: 22

School: Georgia State University — Perimeter College

Talent: Vocal

Fun fact: She is a Beyoncé superfan and has been to almost all of the singer’s concerts in Atlanta.

Miss Conyers, Nia Simone Hampton

Miss Conyers, Nia Simone Hampton

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Snellville

Age: 21

School: University of Georgia

Talent: Lyrical dance

Fun fact: She gets her best ideas between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.

Miss Coweta County, Gabriy’ela Garner

Miss Coweta County, Gabriy'ela Garner

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Stone Mountain

Age: 19

School: Georgia State University

Talent: Piano

Fun fact: She’s a tennis player.

Miss Fitzgerald, Kelly Donoghue

Miss Fitzgerald, Kelly Donoghue

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Marietta

Age: 21

School: University of Georgia

Talent: Vocal

Fun fact: She wants to be an attorney for the NFL.

Miss Fulton County, Alexa Gilomen

Miss Fulton County, Alexa Gilomen

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Suwanee

Age: 20

School: University of Georgia

Talent: Vocal

Fun fact: She dreams of being a Christian music singer.

Miss Gwinnett County, Emily Harlow

Miss Gwinnett County, Emily Harlow

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Snellville

Age: 20

School: University of North Georgia

Talent: Clogging

Fun fact: She loves hiking, especially at Preacher’s Rock in Lumpkin County.

Miss Harris County, Holly Haynes

Miss Harris County, Holly Haynes

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Suwanee

Age: 21

School: University of Georgia

Talent: Vocal

Fun fact: She wants to be a real-life Disney princess.

Miss Historic Buford, Annie Jorgensen

Miss Historic Buford, Annie Jorgensen

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Athens

Age: 21

School: University of Georgia

Talent: Jazz dance

Fun fact: Her goal is to be an anchor on “Good Morning America.”

Miss Kennesaw, Shannon Murphy

Miss Kennesaw, Shannon Murphy

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Marietta

Age: 20

School: Kennesaw State University

Talent: Vocal

Fun fact: She wants to be a New York City taxi driver.

Miss Lake Lanier, Savanna Little

Miss Lake Lanier, Savanna Little

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Macon

Age: 23

School: Georgia Southern University

Fun fact: She loves crab legs.

Miss Magnolia, Courtney Hinesley

Miss Magnolia, Courtney Hinesley

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Grayson

Age: 22

School: Kennesaw State University

Talent: Vocal

Fun fact: She is “obsessed” with pasta.

Miss Stone Mountain, Rosa Karina Campos

Miss Stone Mountain, Rosa Karina Campos

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant

Hometown: Buford

Age: 22

School: University of North Georgia

Talent: Vocal

Fun fact: She dreams of having her own makeup line.

Like Atlanta News Now on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter