Three women competing in the 85th annual Miss America Pageant tonight — Miss North Carolina, Miss Georgia and Miss West Virginia — have connections to the Winston-Salem area.
A current dance student at UNC School of the Arts, as well as an alumna of the school, could become the next Miss America. Also, Miss West Virginia's proud grandparents live in Stokes County.
Michaela Grace Lackey, the dance student, from Marietta, Ga., is that state's contestant. Alumna Hailey Best of Goldsboro is this year's Miss North Carolina.
Spenser Wempe, Miss West Virginia, is the granddaughter of Olin and Becky Joyce of Pine Hall, a community in east-central Stokes County.
The pageant will be telecast live from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas beginning at 9 p.m. on ABC. None of the contestants could be reached for comment on Friday.
"I think it's fantastic," said Brenda Daniels, UNCSA's interim dance dean. "What could be better for the School of the Arts than to have one of our own become Miss America?"
Best, who is majoring in vocal performance at Meredith College, received her high school diploma from UNCSA in 2009. She won the state crown in June, after singing opera at the statewide competition.
Nancy Streblow taught AP literature and composition to Best when she was a senior at UNCSA. (Best attended UNCSA during her senior year only.)
"Coming here was certainly a diversion of what was expected from her," Streblow said. "She's taking a lot of different paths. She's very focused, ambitious and talented."
Lackey, a rising college senior, began her reign as Miss Georgia this past June after dancing at the state competition. She studied contemporary dance with Daniels.
"She has tremendous funniness when she is on stage," Daniels said of Lackey. "Witty is the best word I can come up with."
Best and Lackey are taking a year off from college studies to fulfill their state pageant obligations and to compete in the Miss America pageant.
UNCSA officials said that the following alumni have either won or competed in Miss North Carolina or Miss America: Kristin Elrod, Dana Stephenson Christopher, Kendria Perry Madden, Alecia Adams and Deneen Graham, who became Miss North Carolina in 1983.
Becky Joyce of Pine Hall, the grandmother of Wempe, said she is thrilled for her granddaughter.
"I never thought it would happen to us," Becky Joyce said.
Her husband, Olin Joyce, went to Las Vegas to watch the pageant and provide support for his granddaughter. Becky Joyce doesn't get around well and decided not to make the trip. She will be watching from her home with several family members.
Wempe's mother, Karen, is one of the Joyces' three children, all of whom went to South Stokes High School. Karen died eight years ago.
"That little girl has worked hard," Becky Joyce said of her granddaughter.
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