PURVIS, Miss. (WHLT) – A Purvis native was crowned this year’s Miss Mississippi.

“Hearing my name for again, this dream that I’ve dreamed for so long was completely surreal. And I don’t think I’ll ever get over it,” said Becky Williams, who was crowned in Vicksburg earlier this month.

Williams won several preliminary rounds, including talent and evening wear. She said being Miss Mississippi means being the ultimate role model for young girls.

“My goal is to not be the impossible Miss Mississippi that you look at and you realize, ‘Oh, I could never do that.’ I want to be the girl that shows you that anyone can do this and anyone can do it well,” she stated.

Williams is an Elementary Education graduate student at Mississippi State University (MSU). She’s focused on advocating for better education and public health.

“I want to make sure that I’m getting into classrooms and influencing our next generation of Mississippians, whether it’s with my personal community service initiative, Make a Move, or with our partnership with Tar Wars, and ensuring that our students stay away from smoking in tobacco, or even if it’s just being a role model through social media not only for Mississippi but the entire country,” Williams said.

Through the Miss Mississippi program, Williams received more than $13,000 in scholarships. She’s now working with state leaders to draft legislation to provide better scholarship opportunities.

“There are $100 million in cash scholarships that go unclaimed every single year and that can clearly change lives,” she said.

Williams is looking forward to representing the state in the 2025 Miss America pageant.

“I’m really excited to be with women from across our country and to understand, you know, we are such a rural and small state, and we may not have the same resources, we may not have the same opportunities as others. But again, there’s something that unites us all as Americans,” she said.

The Miss America pageant will be held in January.