When Hannah Oliver, a junior fashion merchandising major from Stuttgart, Arkansas, heard her name called as the 2018 Miss MSU winner, she said it was a dream come true.
“I have dreamed of being Miss MSU since my freshman year,” said Oliver, “When they called my name, my dream became a reality. I just felt so joyful and thankful for the opportunity to represent and give back to the university that has given so much to me.”
Women across Mississippi State University’s campus compete for the title of Miss MSU for several reasons. One is to move on to compete for the title of Miss Mississippi, and then possibly for Miss America. Unknown to many is the other reason: to promote their personal platform.
Oliver’s platform, called “Multiple Sclerosis: Taking Steps Toward a Cure,” involves creating awareness and advocating for those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. Her grandfather was diagnosed with MS in 1980, and his journey inspired Oliver to fight for others who have the same diagnosis.
To promote her platform and receive her crown, Oliver went through five phases of competition: an interview with the judging panel, the swimsuit round, the evening wear round, the on-stage question and the talent portion.
Brad Hill, assistant director for Student Activities and director of the Miss MSU Scholarship Program, gave some insight into what it takes to succeed in each round. The interview, which occurs prior to the pageant itself, is where the competitors sit down with the judges to express themselves and their individual platforms.
Both the swimsuit and evening wear rounds are about confidence and poise. During the swimsuit round, the judges look for a young woman who knows how to lead a healthy lifestyle, and the evening wear round is about stage presence and how the ladies project themselves to their audience.
Then, each young woman answers a question on stage, testing her ability to think on her feet and develop a well-informed opinion off the cuff.
Next, there is the talent portion, where each contestant gets to prove how well she can prepare and deliver her unique talent on stage.
Oliver shared how she prepares herself for pageants, which she has been involved with for the last eight years through the Miss America Organization. She said one of the most important parts of pageant prep is keeping a healthy daily routine, eating well and exercising regularly.
Oliver’s talent, which is tap dancing, is something she’s been developing and practicing since she was three years old. Her tap teacher was a former Miss Arkansas, as was her pageant mentor, both of whom influenced Oliver’s love of competing.
Being able to answer her on-stage question and perform well in her interview came with experience from years of competing. Oliver said pageants have taught her much about herself and how to be confident in who she is.
Oliver said she could not do all of this alone, and by her side through it all was her best friend and roommate, Kylie Tuttle.
Tuttle, an MSU junior majoring in public relations, said she loves to support her friend.
“At first, I was just there for moral support and friendship,” Tuttle said.
After seeing how much fun it was to help Oliver with everything that goes into competing, Tuttle said she adopted the role of a personal assistant.
Not only does Tuttle enjoy watching Oliver compete and succeed, but Miss MSU’s best friend gave high praise to Oliver’s tremendous school spirit and love for the university.
Both Oliver and Tuttle gave some advice for their fellow students. Tuttle encouraged her fellow Bulldogs to follow their passions and always hold their ground for the things they believe. In agreement with that statement, Oliver said if pageantry has taught her one thing, it’s to never give up on something you really want.