Pike County’s Miss Hospitality Haley Simmons is in Hattiesburg this week competing against other young women in the state for the chance to win the title of Miss Hospitality Mississippi.
The pageant begins at 8 p.m. Friday and continues Saturday at the Hattiesburg Saenger Theatre.
Simmons, 20, of McComb, is a graduate of North Pike High School and Southwest Mississippi Community College. While at Southwest, she was the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society VP of Leadership, Student Government Association President, and Miss Southwest Mississippi Community College.
Simmons is now enrolled at the University of Mississippi, where she will major in integrated marketing communications and minor in business administration.
“They will have an emphasis in fashion socialization this spring, so that’s what I really want to do,” she said.
Simmons said she wants to own her own skincare and makeup line.
She recently wrapped up a summer internship in Los Angeles with Sonya B’s Boutique.
“I learned how to run an online store,” she said,
She also did an internship with the Pike County Economic Development District.
Simmons said she became involved with Pike County’s Miss Hospitality because she liked the camaraderie that came with the pageant.
“I liked the opportunities that it has and that the girls are genuinely trying to support each other rather than trying to compete. I appreciate the process,” she said.
As the state pageant gets closer, Simmons said she’s not nervous.
“These ladies are all great people and I’d be happy if any of them won,” she said.
During the competition, Simmons will have to do several interviews, including a panel interview and a one-on-one interview.
“We then we have give a speech promoting Mississippi and show a commercial promoting our county,” she said.
She said one of the things that she highlighted about Pike County in her commercial was the birthplaces of Bo Diddley and American Idol runner-up La’Porsha Renae.
“I also promoted the great fellowship that we have with each other,” she said.
Simmons said in her speech promoting Mississippi, she pushed the fact that Mississippi has a lot of talent.
“We have a lot of people that can go out and produce and I really love about Mississippi,” she said.
Simmons said there will also be an evening gown competition. Once contestants enter into the Top 10, they will be given an on-stage question.
She said her parents, Johnny and Belinda Simmons, are overjoyed about her upcoming competition.
“I’m really excited to be here,” she said.
