“I made up my mind that I was going to enjoy the whole week. I wasn’t going to be nervous and I wasn’t going to put pressure on myself. Even in the interview, I thought, ‘What is the worst that can happen to me? I don’t know the judges and if I have a bad interview, what can they do to me?’ It was the same with the talent – even if I messed up, what’s the worst thing that would happen?” recalls Miss Georgia 4th runner-up and reigning Miss Georgia Southern Kaitlyn Tanner, who competed at the 81st Miss Georgia Pageant last week in Columbus.
Kaitlyn had a historic week at the pageant. Her 4th runner-up finish is the highest placing of any Coffee Countian who has competed at the pageant. Kaitlyn also came away with the Overall Interview Award, On-Stage Conversation Award, and Medical Studies Award. She brought home $2,500 in scholarships from the pageant – which will come in handy as she continues her education with the goal of becoming a physician assistant.
When Kaitlyn arrived in Columbus, she had two significant advantages. First of all, she had big time pageant experience in spades. Not only had she competed in a number of pageants, she had been onstage in two national competitions – Miss Teen Volunteer America and USA National Miss. At Miss Teen Volunteer America, she had placed 4th runner up. Kaitlyn also won overall talent at USA National Miss. To top it off, she had competed on the same stage in Columbus seven years prior in the Miss Georgia Teen pageant as Miss Albany Teen.
“I had been on a big stage before. That helped keep me from getting nervous and let me relax,” she says.
Her other advantage was found in her confidence and sincerity. Kaitlyn’s platform is adoption awareness and advocacy. She is an adopted child herself and uses her adoption story to assist adopted children and families throughout Georgia. She formed The HEART Initiative (Helping Every Adoptive Relationship Together) and her experiences as an adopted child have given her a unique and personal perspective regarding the community service portion of the pageant. When she discusses her program, she does so with equal parts authority and passion, and that showcases a relatability that cannot be manufactured or faked.
During the competition in general but the interview portion in particular, Kaitlyn connected with the judges and pulled them into her story. It was an unforgettable experience for both parties, for which Kaitlyn was rewarded with the overall interview award.
The flagship event of the pageant is the talent competition. When it comes to impressing the judges here, it’s more than just being a good singer, dancer, musician, or the like. Yes, it’s a time for a contestant to showcase her skills. But it’s also performance art; the best contestants connect with the audience and pull them into the show.
Kaitlyn is a talented pianist. But more so than that, she is a performer who has a palpable stage presence. The fact that she had been on that stage before, in the spotlight and also in front of a large audience, made that her stage.
And she owned it.
Kaitlyn chose “Pirates of the Caribbean” and poured all of her years of piano into that performance. The same confidence that she presented during the interview was on display when she took her seat at the piano. As had been the case all week, there were no nerves or hesitation. In those few moments playing the piano, Kaitlyn showed she belonged with the best of the best.
When she heard her name called as 4th runner-up, she was stunned. “I was in shock. I was just so thrilled to have made top 15 and won the Miss Georgia Medical Studies Award. I went into the pageant with the only goal just to have fun and be myself. I put no pressure on myself to win anything so when they called my name, I felt so much gratitude that the judges picked me for my true authentic self,” she says.
Her 4th runner up designation and the individual awards validated everything she had worked so hard for. And her journey is not over. She is still Miss Georgia Southern and has a busy slate of activities for the remainder of her reign. “I love Georgia Southern and I love the blue and white. Representing my university is something I am truly blessed to do. It was an honor to represent Georgia Southern at Miss Georgia but I can’t wait to get back to campus,” she says.
Kaitlyn, a graduate of Citizens Christian Academy, is obtaining an exercise science degree at GSU. She plans to attend physician assistant school afterwards and pursue a career in the healthcare field. She is the daughter of Drs. Greg and Lydia Tanner of Douglas. Her mother is a family practice physician while her father serves as the President of South Georgia State College. She also has a younger brother, Landon, who is a student at CCA in Douglas.
