‘I’m still the same Annie’: Miss Georgia 2018 prepares for Miss America changes

Backstage after the Miss Georgia crowning, it’s a flurry of long dresses, big hair and RiverCenter of the Performing Arts employees trying to wrangle girls together for professional photos.

Someone with makeup emerges from the wings and touches up the newly crowned Miss Georgia 2018 Annie Jorgensen before meeting with media.

“I am just on another planet right now,” said Jorgensen, 22.

About 5 minutes has passed since her crowning and first walk. She wore a long white, single-sleeved gown and bold blue earrings (coincidentally, Miss Georgia 2017 Alyssa Beasley also wore white in her competition). A new crown and Miss Georgia 2018 sash complete the look.

This was Jorgensen’s third year competing for Miss Georgia. She made the top 10 semifinalists her first year and top 15 the second, so she was focused on coming in this year as her best self — and it paid off.

“These women that are here are just the absolute cream of the crop,” Jorgensen said. “They are the most incredible, hardworking, passionate, nice, beautiful on the inside and outside women I have ever met in my entire life so I’m just honored to represent them this year.”

In her year as Miss Georgia, Jorgensen hopes to share her personal platform, Patch of Confidence #IGotThis, with Girl Scouts all across the state. In a partnership with Girl Scouts of America, Jorgensen created a patch program for young girls to explore what makes them feel unique and special, eventually earning a “patch of confidence.”

The next step for Jorgensen is preparing for the Miss America Pageant. The competition is set for Sept. 9, 2018, in Atlantic City, N.J., with a couple of major changes: swimsuit and evening gown will no longer be included. Instead, contestants will participate in a live interactive session showcasing their skills and passions. They are also encouraged to wear something that shows off their personal style in lieu of an evening gown.

Asked about facing the changes to the Miss America Pageant, Jorgensen focused on the bigger picture.

“Honestly the job isn’t changing at all, it’s just the way that you get the job,” she said. “With or without swimsuit, I’m still the same Annie, I’m still the same me, so I’m going to go into Miss America just the way I came into Miss Georgia.”

Jorgensen lives in Athens, Ga., and recently graduated from the University of Georgia. Going into the Miss Georgia 2018 competition, she held the Miss International City title. She hopes to one day work in broadcast as an anchor for “Good Morning America.”

The final results were:

▪ Fourth runner-up: Alexa Gilomen, Miss Historic Buford

▪ Third runner-up: Victoria Hill, Miss Cobb County

▪ Second runner-up: Brooke Doss, Miss Atlanta

▪ First runner-up: Chari Guzman, Miss Fulton County

The top 10 semi-finalists also included Miss Johns Creek, Stephanie Gargiulo; Miss University of Georgia, Holly Haynes; Miss Rome, Taylor Burrell; Miss Historic Southern Plains, Sarah DeLoach; and Miss Capital City, Paula Smith.

This story was originally published June 18, 2018 at 11:04 AM with the headline "‘I’m still the same Annie’: Miss Georgia 2018 prepares for Miss America changes."