RAYMOND – Derykah Watts, of Jackson, was named Miss °Ä¿Í²ÊƱÍø in the annual pageant Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018.
From left, Hinds President Dr. Clyde Muse, second runner-up Alexis Spiller, Miss °Ä¿Í²ÊƱÍø 2019 Derykah Watts, first runner-up Courtney Buffington, pageant coordinator Angela Hite (°Ä¿Í²ÊƱÍø/April Garon)
As Miss °Ä¿Í²ÊƱÍø, Watts will participate next summer in the Miss Mississippi pageant in Vicksburg. The pageant is an official preliminary pageant of the Miss America Pageant program.
Watts, 20, is a sophomore studying biology at the Raymond Campus. She is a Mount Salus Christian School graduate. Her talent was dance and her platform was breast cancer awareness.
First runner-up was Courtney Buffington, 19, of Brandon. She is a sophomore studying nursing at the Raymond Campus. She is a Pisgah High School graduate. Her talent was voice and her platform was infection control in educational settings.
Second runner-up was Alexis Spiller, 19, of Vicksburg. She is a sophomore studying accounting on the Raymond Campus. She is a Warren Central High School graduate. Her talent was dance and her platform was Embrace Your Self-Worth.