Junior crowned Miss Perry High School

Hayley Karros, a 16-year-old junior, was crowned Miss Perry High School 2018 during the school’s annual pageant held Feb. 15 in the school’s auditorium.

The contestants all performed an opening number to music from the movie “The Greatest Showman” and competed in On Stage Question, Casual Wear, Evening Gown and Optional Talent competition. The interview portion of the competition was held earlier in the day.

Hayley will be awarded a $500 scholarship upon her graduation from Perry High.

The outgoing Miss Perry High School, Charley Lollis presented Perry High Principal Del Martin with a check for $1,000. The money will be used to purchase a purified water system for the school. The money was raised by Lollis during her year as Miss Perry High School 2017 through a schoolwide recycling project in which aluminum cans were collected and the funds saved for the water system project.

Other winners during the evening included: Interview: Hayley Karros; Talent: Julie Edes; Miss Congeniality: Leah Johnson.

First runner-up was Ashley Gidney, second runner-up was Breana Wynn and third runner-up was Karastyn Bibb.

Karros participated in the pageant last year; it was her first pageant.

“It was like getting my feet wet,” said Karros about the 2017 pageant, “I got to see how everything worked in a pageant and the girls were all so sweet and we all had so much fun.”

Since last year’s Miss Perry High School pageant, Karros has entered six more pageants — winning five of them. She is the reigning Miss American Prestige, Miss Teen Central Georgia, Miss Pig Jig, Miss Tinsels and Tiaras and now Miss Perry High School.

Karros, who won the interview portion of the competition, said that most of her questions centered on her plans to become a nurse anesthetist and the child her family sponsors from Zimbabwe.

“I never know what is going to happen on pageant day but I go into it with the attitude that whatever happens on that day happens, I do my best and enjoy the pageant. So when they started calling out names, I remember thinking you never know what will happen but I will still shocked when they called my name,” Karros said.

Along with representing the school at various events, Karros will also be raising money for a project for the school.

Karros is a varsity tennis team member and varsity game cheerleader, and is active in school’s drama department. She is a member of KAZ, the Partner’s Club and Southside Baptist Church, and she works part-time at Sonny’s BBQ.

“It is an amazing experience for me to get to have,” Karros said. “A lot of times the girls have graduated and have to come back for things, but I am right here at home. I am really looking forward to my year, being here, doing things for our community and for Perry High School.”

This story was originally published February 24, 2018 at 12:50 PM with the headline "Junior crowned Miss Perry High School."