‘Nobody pinch me.’ UGA grad Audrey Kittila reflects on her Miss Georgia win

At 6-foot-1, Audrey Kittila stands tall — literally. She also is standing tall as the 80th winner of the Miss Georgia Scholarship Competition, a title she earned Saturday night after four days of competing at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts in Columbus.

It was a long-awaited achievement for Kittila, who made her fourth consecutive appearance at Miss Georgia as Miss Atlanta. Last year, she finished as third runner-up as Miss Cobb County.

Kittila, 22, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in communications sciences and disorders in 2024. She now is pursuing a master’s degree in speech-language pathology at UGA.

In addition to the crown, she won several preliminary and overall awards, earning $28,000 in scholarship money. She plans to combine that with the $19,800 she amassed from previous years to pay for the rest of her master’s degree and obtain the certifications needed to practice speech therapy. She is considering pursuing a specialist’s degree or clinical doctorate.

In an interview Sunday with the Ledger-Enquirer, Kittila discussed what made this year different, how she captured the crown and what’s ahead for her yearlong reign. Here are excerpts from the conversation, edited for brevity and clarity.

What was it like getting crowned as Miss Georgia?

“There’s no way this is real. It’s been several years for me, and every year it’s a different season of life. This year took on a new meaning as a mentorship experience. I’ve been here for four years, and a lot of our class were first-timers, so it was quite the opportunity to get to invest in them. I was just elated, excited and also giving God all the glory. I’m a woman of faith, and it means a lot to me. I spent a lot of time in prayer over my Miss Georgia dream, and at that moment, I was just thinking, ‘Nobody pinch me.’”

What made this year different from the other years you competed?

“I spent the last year preparing in a very different way. A lot of time during my previous three years was spent on physical preparation and making all the appearances. While I continued to do that this year, I spent a lot more time focused on growing myself and investing in my graduate school education. Now that I’m pursuing my master’s, I’m learning about what it is I like to do, the types of people I love to serve and how to be mentally prepared to give to other people. This is a tremendous group of uplifting women. I knew that my role this week — as a mentor — was to contribute to that. And in order to do that and to compete successfully, you have to really know who you are and who you serve.”

What is your main goal for your “Education for All” platform this year?

“I want to get into as many schools as possible. Miss Georgia helps show students that they can do whatever they put their mind to. Of course, I also want to focus on education and encouragement. Something I always make a point to talk about with kids is the importance of building strong reading skills because reading has the ability to unlock so much in your future. I also want to take the time to open up some career-based conversations. I always ask kids: What do you want to be when you grow up? And their answers have been everything from a football player to a teacher to a nail technician and everything in between. I encourage them to get their high school diploma or their GED because, even if you’re going into a field that doesn’t require a college education, having that high school diploma can give you the option, and that’s everything. What they choose to do after that is chasing their dreams, but kids need to be empowered to learn and empowered to chase whatever goals they set for themselves.”

“Faith over fear” is a mantra of yours. What is something you were afraid of this year and in your journey, and how did you overcome it?

“This journey in years past hasn’t resulted in a crown, and that’s hard. . . . It’s not a true failure because I’ve come out on top every single time, but this year was about facing the fear of ‘Is this dream going to become a reality or is it not?’ It was about finding the joy in every bit of the process. I was telling my roommates and the other girls this week that, if you put the win in the crown, you’re most likely going to walk away disappointed. For me this week, I told myself that the win was going to be in building and fostering relationships. The win was going to be in getting to share my faith with at least one other person, which I got to do many times this week. I’m not going to win it by looking to the right or to the left. I’m going to win it by looking up at the God who provides and sustains me and who gave me so much more freedom to be able to celebrate both the other women and myself this year.”

What would little Audrey think of you now? Could she imagine you being Miss Georgia?

“Honestly? No. I never thought this was something that I would get a chance to do, even in high school. I’m 6-1. I think I’m the tallest Miss Georgia. In middle and high school, I struggled with a lot of physical insecurities and did not have a lot of confidence. It was through the Miss America organization that I was able to gain self-assurance and see myself as beautiful and capable. Little Audrey would look at me now and just be like, ‘No way.’”

How has your height played a role in your life and in this competition?

“I see it as an opportunity. I’m the person that, when I walk into a grocery store, I turn heads, which is awesome, but it also unlocks opportunities for me to meet people. When the old lady comes up to me in the grocery store and says, ‘Gosh, you remind me of my granddaughter because she’s tall,’ that’s an opportunity to talk about Miss America and what I do and build a connection with her. Then she’ll ask for me to get something off the top shelf, but I can always help with that. Almost every woman has that one physical insecurity in their life. When you choose to see it as beautiful, it turns from an insecurity into a superpower.”

What is something you wish people understood about pageantry?

“The women who compete are some of the bravest, most intelligent, most articulate and incredible women ever, and the Miss America competition does a beautiful job of enhancing those qualities. It might look like just a pretty face in a dress, but if you really dig into the meat of it, these women touch all corners of our state, and they truly are making a difference. What an opportunity it is to get to celebrate somebody who’s invested in their education but also their communities.”

Outside of Miss America, what do you do for fun?

“I’m classically trained in both piano and violin. And I always tell people that my number one de-stressor is to go and just sit at the piano. In fact, we utilized Columbus State University’s dorms for the Miss Georgia competition, and there was a piano in the lobby of the dorm building. There were several days this week that I just went down there and just started playing piano because it was fun for me. But other than that, I enjoy crafts and building things. I’m not super artistic, but I try my best. And, of course, investing in my friendships is always a good thing.”

Was there a moment this week that wasn’t on stage or seen by anyone else that was special to you?

“It was getting to sit and play piano in the lobby of the dorms and getting to share some of the songs that mean so much to me with other girls. My grandfather was a church organist and has embedded this incredible legacy of music into my family. I get my love of old classic hymns from him, so getting to go down and just play piano in there and talk to . . . other girls was a moment that I’m going to hold on to for a very long time.”

What has been the most memorable part of your journey to the crown?

“The Miss American crown has four points on it. They stand for service, style, success and scholarship, but they all sit on the base of sisterhood. So when I think about the most impactful thing, it would be the women that I met. The girls who I had a chance to room with this year were such an encouragement to me. And it’s always so fascinating to see who’s in your dressing room or who you end up rooming with because it’s always somebody that you can learn so much from. And I truly find so much joy in getting to build all the relationships.”

The crown comes with a lot of pressure, attention and expectations. How do you stay rooted in your purpose?

“I have a tremendous support system. What people don’t often see is the family that stands behind the girl. My mom and my dad have been so tremendously supportive. Over the last four years, my mom and I have become travel buddies, and she’s absolutely incredible. On the days when I need it most, they are the people that stand behind me and can give me the strength and, of course, remind me of the calling the Lord has put on my life. Between my family and my faith, I’m pretty grounded.”

If the crown was gone tomorrow, what would you carry with you?

“The relationships, the sisterhood and the knowledge of the impact that every single person has the capacity to make. The crown is beautiful. It’s so symbolic, but the capacity to make a difference is in every single person that walks into a room. I don’t need the crown to make a difference, but I’m looking forward to getting to use it to do just that this year.”

This story was originally published June 16, 2025 at 11:23 AM.