Next month, Andrea Hightower of Oxford will represent the Hospitality State in a big way as she competes for the title of Miss Teen USA at the Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.
The 17 year old is one of 51 contestants who will vie for a crown, title and opportunity to speak and travel while raising awareness and funds for charitable organizations. The pageant will take place Aug. 21-22.
“I’m excited to meet other girls,” she said. “It will be a good competition. It’s going to be tough this year, but no matter what happens, I’m in God’s hands.”
The Miss Teen USA competition consists of four sections, starting with an opening number where contestants perform a dance on stage together. “That part is not judged,” Andrea said with a laugh. “And that’s good because it would be unfair for girls like me who can’t dance!”
Contestants are judged on their fitness and physical appearance through a swimsuit and evening gown competition. They are then judged on their public speaking abilities, personality and eloquence through an interview competition where they are asked to comment on current events and social issues.
Following the initial competitions, the judges select the top 15 contestants to model their swimwear and evening gowns again in front of a separate judging panel. A winner is then crowned from the top 15 contestants.
A special send-off party was held on July 18th in Andrea’s honor at First Baptist Church in Oxford, where Andrea is a member. Friends and family from all over town came to show support and wish Andrea the best of luck as she competes. In between chatting with friends, Andrea took some time to describe her special pageant wardrobe.
“My dress is white,” she said. “It’s very simple but very elegant at the same time. Hopefully it will be a stunner for the judges.”
Andrea’s swimsuit will be a surprise. “I actually haven’t seen it yet,” she said. Because the contestants’ swimsuits are nationally sponsored, each girl will receive her swimsuit in the mail some time this month. It will then be altered to fit each contestant’s individual body shape. “It’s exciting,” she said.
When she’s not competing in pageants, Andrea said that she loves to run and she’s found a lot of passion in writing nonfiction. “I can amuse myself with it and express myself in different ways,” she said. “[It helps me to] not worry about the real world for a little bit.”
Currently Andrea is enrolled in the University of Mississippi High School online. Which allows her balance her responsibilities as Miss Mississippi Teen USA without sacrificing her studies. “It allows me to travel, meet new people, speak and network,” she said. “It helps me to build on my life after the crown. I will graduate early, which is good because I will be able to start college next summer. “
For Andrea, the University of Mississippi is the perfect fit for her college experience. “It’s where I’ve grown up,” she said. “I’m used to the culture.” She plans to study political science with hopes of attending law school one day.
Andrea is optimistic about the Miss Teen USA pageant, and win or lose, she will be proud of herself. “God has got me,” she said. “I’ll always have a future, a past and a present with Him, and I know that. When I get there, I’ll give it all that I have, and hopefully, the judges will love it and pick me.”
Andrea is the daughter of Greg and Minnie Hightower of Oxford.
The final competition of the Miss Teen USA pageant will air live on the Miss Teen USA website on Aug. 22.
Beth Harmon is managing editor for HottyToddy.com. Email her at beth.harmon@hottytoddy.com.
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