The woman who will represent Georgia in the Miss America Pageant visited with students at Wheeless Road Elementary School on Dec. 6.
With a stuffed lion in her lap and a tiara on her head, Karson Pennington brought books and a message for students.
“I’m here to try to get them excited about reading, especially over the holidays, while they’re not going to be in school,” she said. “I do think that it’s so important to stress education and literacy at this point in time when students have been in and out of the classroom at an irregular schedule for the past two years.”
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Principal Timothy Jones said it’s a way to help students understand the importance of reading.
“We push on literacy here at school and this is just another piece to let them know how important literacy is,” said Jones.
In addition to reading to Derindia Shapiro’s kindergarten students, Pennington brought several boxes of books for the school library.
Wheeless Road Elementary holds special significance for Pennington. Her late grandmother was a teacher at the school.
“It’s an absolute honor to be here all these years later,” said Pennington, an Augusta native and graduate of Lakeside High School, who is working on her doctorate in political science and international affairs at the University of Georgia. “I actually never had the opportunity to meet my grandmother — she passed away before I was born — but her legacy lives on in this elementary school.”
Contestants in the Miss America competition identify a social impact initiative. Pennington’s platform is education, with literacy in particular. She created a website to promote her interest.
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Pennington leaves Wednesday for her next public appearance, the Miss America Pageant, held this year in Connecticut on Dec. 16.
“It’s the 100th anniversary of Miss America and I’m absolutely honored to represent Georgia. I’ve lived here my entire life. Augusta is my hometown. I absolutely love it here,” she said. “I’m a Georgia girl through and through. And I couldn’t be more honored to wear this state across my heart.”
Click here for more information on how to watch the competition.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
