The 12 contestants are Elise Adkins, Katrina Clayton, Savannah Pritchett, Emeli Kimberly, Rachal Ezell, Courtney Elders, Meagan Freeman, Keri Meads, Hannah Martin, Whitney Bryant, Jada Curtis and Gina Heilman.
Elise Adkins is a 17-year-old junior at Moody High School.
She is the daughter of Ronnie and Melissa Adkins of Moody. She is a member of the MHS Beta Club, the Sigma Delta Phi Honor Society, Relay for Life, captain of the MHS Blue Diamonds Dance Line and a member of the high school choir.
Adkins said she became interested in the local Jr. Miss Program because she has watched many of her friends compete in it in past years.
“In the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to be part of the Jr. Miss Little Sister Program,” said Adkins.
“I love the fact that Jr. Miss looks at what is in your heart and what is in your mind and not your outward appearance.”
For her talent, Adkins will perform a jazz dance to “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins.
Adkins attends Jeff State Community College through the duel enrollment program. She just received a summer studies scholarship.
After high school, she attend the University of Alabama and major in public relations.
Katrina Clayton, 17, is the daughter of Scott and Maja Clayton of Moody. She is a junior at Moody High School.
She home-schooled through Crossroads Christian School and started attended Moody High School as a sophomore. Clayton is a member of Mu Alpha Theta and she is a varsity cheerleader.
Asked why she became interested in the St. Clair County Jr. Miss, Clayton said many of her friends have participated in the Jr. Miss in the past.
“I felt it would be a great experience for me,” Clayton said. “
For her talent, Clayton will play the piano, a classical piece titled “Solfeggio” by Carl Bach.
Her plans after high school are to attend Auburn University and then go on to the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s dentistry school.
She is a member of Community Presbyterian Church in Moody.
Savannah Pritchett, 16, is the daughter of Lee and Leigh Pritchett of Pell City. She is home-schooled through Crossroads Christian School in Moody.
She is a member of the Key Club and the club’s new president.
Pritchett said she became involved in the Junior Miss program because of knowing the program director, Carol Hornsby, for a long time and she encouraged her.
“I want to be involved in a program like this,” Pritchett said.
“They promote being the best you can be on the inside first and it would show on the outside.”
For her talent, Pritchett will give a dramatic recitation from I Corinthians 13.
After high school, Pritchett plans on pursuing a career as a Children’s Ministry Director.
She will probably attend UAB and then go on to the seminary after that.
Meagan Freeman is the 17-year-old daughter of Randy and Christine Freeman of Pell City. She is a junior at Pell City High School.
She is a member of the varsity volleyball team, president of the upcoming senior class, and member of the Spanish Honor Society. She attends Jeff State Community College through the duel enrollment program.
“I had never heard of Jr. Miss until Carol Hornsby came to our school and told us about it,” Freeman said.
“One day, I would like to compete in the Miss Alabama Program.
For her talent, Freeman will play the piano. Her selection is “Rhapsodie,” by Maxwell Eckstein.
After high school, Freeman would like to attend the University of Alabama. She is undecided about her major but knows she would one day like to practice law.
Courtney Elders is the 16-year-old daughter of Neal and Barbara Elders of Ashville.
She is a junior at Ashville High School. She is a member of the Ashville varsity basketball team.
Elders found out about Jr. Miss through two of her friends.
“Amanda McDaniel and Cassie Sanders were in this program last year,” Elders said.
For her talent, Elders will perform a skit in which she will be painting a picture.
After high school, Elders plans on attending the University of Alabama and majoring in journalism.
Rachal Ezell is the 17-year-old daughter of John Ezell of Trussville and Cindy Ezell of Moody.
She is a junior at Moody High School.
She is captain of the varsity cheerleading squad, a SCA officer, member of Relay for Life, FCCLA, varsity tennis team and a four-year member of the Beta Club. She also volunteers for Hope’s Lodge.
“I’ve always been interested in Jr. Miss since I was a little girl,” Ezell said.
“Last year, I was a Little Sister in the program.”
For her talent, Ezell will do a lyrical dance to “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban.
After high school, Ezell wants to attend Troy University and become a dental surgeon and go to third world countries and help people there.
Emeli Kimberly is the 17-year-old daughter of Kim Kimberly of Odenville and Jamie Kimberly of Sterrett.
She is a junior at St. Clair County High School in Odenville. She attended schools in Trussville through the eighth grade before starting at SCCHS.
“Carol Hornsby came to our school talking about the Jr. Miss Program and I was looking for scholarship money,” Kimberly said.
“This is a great program.”
Kimberly is a member of the SGA, FCCLA, Spanish Club, FTA and captain of the varsity cheerleading squad.
For her talent, Kimberly will do a gymnastics dance to some 50’s music.
After high school, Kimberly plans on attending the University of Alabama to be an anesthetist.
Keri Meads is the 17-year-old daughter of Chris and Tracy Meads of Ashville.
She is a junior at Ashville High School.
She is a member of Mu Alpha Theta, Senior Beta Club and First Priority.
“One of my friends, Jada Curtis, was a Little Sister last year and Carol Hornsby visited our school talking about Jr. Miss,” Meads said.
“That’s when I became interested.”
For her talent, Meads will perform a drama/hip-hop dance to the Christian song “GOD” written by Canton Jones.
After high school, Meads plans on attending Gadsden State, then transferring to the University of Alabama at Birmingham for a degree in nursing.
Hannah Martin is the 16-year-daughter of Stenson and Teresa Martin of Odenville.
She just completed her junior year at Moody High School.
She is a member of the dance line with the high school band and also played the trumpet for two years, a member of the Art Club, and next year will be part of MHS Literary Magazine.
She found out about Jr. Miss through a classmate, Hannah Jaudon, who was part of the Jr. Miss Scholarship Program last year.
“With her being in it, really affected me being a part of it this year,” Martin said.
For her talent, Martin will perform a ballet dance to the tune of “A Thousand Miles,” written by Vanessa Carlton.
Martin hopes to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Montevallo, or the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga.
She plans on majoring in art wherever she goes.
Whitney Bryant is the 17-year-old daughter of Jeff Bryant of Ashville and Felecia Bryant of Huntsville.
Bryant has attended the Ashville schools for the past 5 years.
She also attended schools in Erwin, home-schooled a couple of years and went one year in Huntsville.
She is a member of the varsity basketball team and track team at Ashville High School.
She became involved in Jr. Miss because two of her friends, Amanda McDaniel and Cassie Sanders, were in the program last year.
“When Mrs. Hornsby came to our school, it just sounded like a good idea to earn scholarship money,” Bryant said.
For her talent, Bryant will sing “Praise You In the Storm” by Casting Crowns.
After high school, Bryant would like to attend the University of Alabama or Jacksonville State University.
She plans on majoring in an English field, maybe in journalism.
Jada Curtis is the 17-year-old niece of Doyle and Kim Kay of Ashville and the daughter of Jeff and Anita Curtis of Trion, Ga.
She attended the Appalachian schools from kindergarten through sixth-grade then transferred to the Ashville schools in the seventh grade. S
he just completed her junior year at Ashville High School.
She is a member of the Senior Beta Club, leader of First Priority and a cheerleader her junior year.
She found out about Jr. Miss last year, as she was a Little Sister to Ashville’s Cassie Sanders.
For her talent, Curtis will do a monologue she wrote titled “Finding My Voice.”
Once she graduates from high school next year, she plans on attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is undecided about what she will major in, but is leaning toward the nursing field.
Gina Heilman is the 17-year-old daughter of Michael and Susan Lambert of Odenville and Steven Heilman of Anchorage, Ak.
She just finished her junior year at St. Clair County High School in Odenville.
She has attended the schools in Odenville since the sixth grade.
Before that, she attended her kindergarten year in Las Vegas, Nev. and grades one through five in Alaska.
Heilman found out about Jr. Miss when Carol Hornsby and the reigning Jr. Miss, Milea Hanner, visited SCCHS one day.
“I thought it would be interesting and a great way to meet new friends,” Heilman said.
“It would also help my parents out if I was able to earn some scholarship money.”
Heilman is a member of FTA, Beta Club, Spanish Club, Math Team and Yearbook staff.
She is also a cheerleader and plays soccer.
For her talent, Heilman will sign a song written by Taylor Swift titled “I’m Only Me When I’m With You.”
After high school, Heilman wants to attend Samford University and plans to major in speech therapy or sports medicine.
