Schools

UGA has a New Queen, and Not Just for a Day

Shelby McLeod named Miss University of Georgia

The third time was the charm for Shelby McLeod.

After placing third last year and the year before, the third-year student has been crowned Miss University of Georgia. Her mother and father, Kay and Jeff McLeod of Madison, couldn't be happier.

"She hung with it and made it happen," said Kay, an elementary school administrator in Madison. "I couldn't be prouder. When she sets a goal, you better get out of the way. And she wanted to be Queen of Bulldog Nation."

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When Shelby heard the announcer say she had won, "I didn't move. I didn't think I had heard right. But I was ecstatic."

Shelby, 20, is majoring in public relations in the and studying music business in the Terry College, but her heart is in performance. She plans to move to Nashville "as soon as I have that diploma in my hand," where she hopes to carve out a career as a country music singer. For the talent portion of Saturday night's pageant, she sang "Blue," a song made popular by Patsy Cline and recently by Leann Rimes.

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Becoming Miss UGA will give her more opportunities to perform and more venues, Shelby said, as well as a chance to be involved in various philanthropic activities. She expects to be singing the National Anthem often, "which isn't all that easy."

She comes by her singing ability naturally. Her father, Jeff, a UGA graduate who works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has been playing guitar and singing with the Rocky Creek Band for almost 40 years. Shelby, and her older sister Mandy, have both performed with their father.

How did she get involved in pageants? As a freshman member of Zeta Tau Alpha, she participated in the Sorority Row pageant--and won. She decided if she could win that competition, she might as well take on a bigger challenge and enter the Miss UGA contest.

For now, Shelby is still marveling over her win, which includes $2,000 in prize money, a donation to her charity of choice, Relay for Life, and money for next semester's books. She's planning to save the cash, either for a study abroad session next year or for her move to Nashville.

"I felt confident this year," Shelby said. "I thought, well, if I win this time, great, but if now, I'll just keep doing other things."

She will compete in the Miss Georgia Pageant in June 2012. The winner of that pageant will go on to the Miss America Pageant.

Jennifer Johnson, a fourth-year advertising major from Marietta, was first runner-up. Abby Killough, a fourth-year communication sciences and disorders major from Bainbridge, received second runner-up honors and was awarded best interview. Lia Racanelli, a fourth-year publication management major from Lynchburg, Va., was third runner-up. Courtney Giebler, second-year pre-pharmacy major from Fayetteville, was fourth runner-up.

The Floreida Harrell Miss Congeniality Scholarship was awarded for the second consecutive year to Kayla McIntosh, a senior health promotion major from Cumming. The People’s Choice Award, voted on by audience members, went to Susannah Haddad, a first-year pre-journalism major from Austin, Texas.


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