PHOTO SUBMITTED Little Miss Hospitality Lottie Sones and Miss Brookhaven Maggie Sheppard.

Miss Brookhaven Maggie Sheppard hopes to beat out 46 other young women this weekend for a $25,000 prize package and the title of Mississippi Miss Hospitality.

Sheppard, the daughter of Christy and Chris Sheppard, is competing in the 76th annual Miss Hospitality competition in a bid to become the state’s goodwill ambassador for economic development and tourism.

After a week of practices, appearances and fellowship among the contestants, the competition concludes with judging Friday and Saturday at the Saenger Theatre in Hattiesburg. The 2024 Miss Hospitality Chloe Grace Weeks of Winston County will crown the winner and that young woman will spend the next year traveling regionally and nationally to promote the Hospitality State and share her story.

Sheppard chose Lottie Sones as her Little Miss Hospitality, which is Miss Hospitality’s mentoring program for girls age 6-10.

Lottie is the daughter of Sam and Brittney Sones of Brookhaven.

“With a sweet heart and a love for the stage, Lottie has been lighting up the Ole Brook Pageant for years,” Sheppard posted on social media. “She is always bringing her personality and bright smile wherever she goes. We have been close family friends for years, and I couldn’t be more thankful to have her by my side throughout this journey.”

Sheppard is a graduate of Brookhaven High School and a sophomore at Mississippi College, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Secondary Education with a concentration in English. She plans to pursue a career as a high school English teacher.

At Mississippi College, Maggie is a member of the Kissimee Social Tribe, a Scouts Student Recruiter, and serves on the fundraising committee for Dance Marathon that raises money for Children’s of Mississippi, Mississippi’s only children’s hospital.

“When I’m not at school, you can find me spending time with family or friends, hunting Mississippi family land, working during summer break at Ole Brook Kids, or sitting by the pool at The Clubs at Ole Brook soaking up this summer sun,” she posted.

Sheppard has been preparing for this weekend for months.

“I can’t wait for competition week, not just to compete, but to connect, grow, and make memories with all the other amazing contestants,” she posted prior to leaving for Hattiesburg earlier this week. “I feel so honored to represent my hometown and community, and I’m beyond thankful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m embracing the prep, treasuring the friendships, and getting more excited with each passing day.”

Miss Hospitality contestants are eligible for more than $100,000 in scholarships and prizes by participation in the state competition, including cash and college-granted funds. Miss Mississippi Hospitality will receive a $25,000 prize package.

During the competition, contestants are judged on one-on-one interview, a panel interview, a 90-second memorized speech based on the question, “How would you promote your state to a visitor of Mississippi?” and an evening gown competition. The contestants must also present an original 20-second commercial on important aspects of their city or county, promoting their hometowns to all in attendance, while modeling a cocktail dress of their choice.

Sheppard is an at-large contestant for the program and chose her mother as her director.

“I am incredibly blessed to have her by my side as I begin this experience, but more importantly, I’m so thankful to call her my mom,” she said. “My mother has shown up for me my entire life. She attended every ballet recital when I was little, ran around at cross country meets in the heat, sat through every freezing cold soccer game on King Field, poured into my life spiritually, and supported me in every way possible.”

Sheppard shared a post of the two photographed together on Instagram prior to the competition.

“When I told her I was interested in the Miss Hospitality Pageant, she threw herself headfirst into helping me with anything and everything,” she said. “This experience is just one more example of how she has always shown up for me, and I can never express enough how grateful I am for her. She is a true example of a Christ-like wife and mother. Her love for her family is evident in every part of who she is. I couldn’t imagine doing this without her.”