Hammock, Burnette win awards at Miss Georgia pageant

Kelsey Hollis was crowned Miss Georgia’s Outstanding Teen at the Miss Georgia pageant held last week, but she wasn’t the only local young woman to walk away with an award.

Tess Hammock, Miss Warner Robins, was the recipient of the Miss America’s Organization’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math award, the Miss America’s Organization Community Service Award and the first-ever Andre Prospar Love for All Mankind Community Service Award. She also received a non-finalist interview award at Miss Georgia.

Hammock is a senior at the University of Georgia where she is majoring in agricultural communication. She plans to become a broadcast journalist after college. Her platform — Powering America through Positive Youth Development — encourages young people to develop their potential through Positive Youth Development organizations such as 4-H or Boys & Girls Clubs.

Caroline Burnette, Miss International City, won a non-finalist interview award and raised the third-highest amount of money among the Miss Georgia contestants for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Burnette is majoring in child and family development at Georgia Southern University. She is minoring in public health. Burnette chose Alzheimer’s awareness for her platform. She has spent the last year as Miss International City helping to raise awareness of issues relating to Alzheimer’s as well as other mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

This story was originally published June 26, 2016 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Hammock, Burnette win awards at Miss Georgia pageant."