New Miss South Carolina crowned for 2023. Here’s who won
Jada Samuel was overcome with emotion when she was named Miss South Carolina 2023 Saturday, saying she was proud to be the fourth Black woman to wear the crown.
Her voice shaking, she said her 86-year-old grandmother was at home watching her on television. As a young woman, her grandmother could not compete, she said.
Samuel, 26, is from Greenville and competed as Miss Bridge City.
Many may know her as an on-air host for The South Carolina Lottery. She is a digital marketing strategist and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a broadcast journalism degree. She is pursuing an MBA at Louisiana State University.
For her talent, she recited a powerful acceptance speech once given by Angela Bassett. Samuel also won the Miss Evening Gown Award.
She said she will concentrate on service.
“Service is everything,” she said, adding Miss South Carolina’s job would not be about her but what she can do for others. She calls herself a servant leader.
Samuel said she hopes to draw more contestants — Miss SC Organization called them delegates —from various backgrounds and to continue to be a mentor for young people.
Toward that end, she founded a nonprofit — iShapeMe Inc. — in 2014 to encourage positive body image, self-esteem and a fit and healthy lifestyle, according to her LinkedIn page.
“You can find me doing my best work at the intersection of storytelling and making an impact,” she wrote on LinkedIn.
Samuel won a $60,000 scholarship and will compete in the Miss America contest, the date and place has not been announced.
The Miss South Carolina competition was held at Columbia’s Township Auditorium and included 47 contestants. In all, $250,000 in scholarships were awarded by the Miss South Carolina Organization, the most among those affiliated with MIss America.
This year marked the return of the health and fitness round, which previously was known as the swimsuit competition. Now, the women wear upscale workout clothes.
On Friday night, 16-year-old Margaret Turner was named Miss South Carolina Teen.
She was Miss Lakeland’s Teen and is from Greenwood. When she was 14 years old she won Miss Junior High School America on an anti-bullying platform.
She is also interested in encouraging blood donation.
She appeared during the Miss South Carolina contest and said she had already started working as Miss South Carolina teen.
Turner won $10,000 from the Miss America Organization.
Miss South Carolina Teen 2022 was Piper Holt
Jill Dudley was Miss South Carolina 2022. She seemed to become emotional while she was singing “Forever Young” toward the end of the show as the sole prince and princesses, former winners and current delegates walked across the stage.
A Socastee native and rape survivor, Dudley’s focus has been on examining the myths of rape culture, share stories of survival and encourage bystanders to get in the fight. Her platform is called Shatter the Cycle.
Runners up to Miss South Carolina were first runner up Miss Greater Carolina Davis Walsh, second Miss Charleston Sydney Ford, third Miss Clemson Berkley Bryant and fourth Miss North Myrtle Beach Brooke Vu.
