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June 25th will mark the day that Jordan Adcox has been preparing for since she was five months old.
The hard work and dedication the 17 year old has put in is sure to show when she takes the stage for the 2016 Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant. As the reigning Miss Gastonia, Adcox will compete with other young women from across the state for not only the title of Miss North Carolina, but also for scholarships.
"I am the youngest contestant this year," Adcox said. "I am competing against women who are 23 and in law school."
Adcox's mom, Jeanie Webb, said that she never imagined her daughter would someday be in Miss North Carolina.
"She was a Carolina Princess when she was 7, and she didn't want to take part in the pageant," Webb said. "But she did, and when she came off stage she said 'I've found where I need to be.'"
An official state preliminary associated with the Miss America organization, the Miss North Carolina Organization isn't just about beauty, Adcox is quick to point out.
"These girls are intelligent beyond what you'd believe," Adcox said of her competitors. Each contestant has to have a platform; Adcox's is Interact for Impact. The recent high school graduate took part in Project Unify at Chase High School, and will share the importance of treating those with special needs just as you would anyone else.
Adcox also had to prepare a performance for the talent portion of the competition. She began working on a lyrical dance routine to the song "A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson.
"I've always want to dance to it," Adcox said. "It was always played at Sunburst Pageants when the winner was crowned .... it has always been a song that reminds me of happy moments."
The community can help Adcox reach the happy moment of being a finalist for Miss North Carolina by voting for her online.
"There is a People's Choice contest this year," Adcox explained. "We each had to complete a video about ourselves, which are on the Miss North Carolina Facebook page. My video is about Tyler White and how our stories parallel - just like him, I didn't wake up at 17 and decide I wanted to be in Miss North Carolina."
The videos with the most likes will automatically make it into the top 11. Only likes on the original post will be counted.
Adcox will travel to Raleigh for preliminary events June 22. During that time, she will be sequestered from family and friends, which is "a little intimidating."
"I do better when I have time to reflect on things on my own," Adcox said of being alone for the pageant. "It's exciting, too. Take any summer camp and multiply it times 1,000 and that's what Miss North Carolina is."
This year's pageant will not be televised, but the Miss Gastonia Pageant's Facebook page will post nightly updates on Adcox's journey at Miss North Carolina.
