Girl power.  It’s something women not only in America, but in the world, possess, whether her actions or her ambitions outwardly show it or not. Each and every woman has the potential, the strength, and the mind to overcome adversities and rise, but it takes determination and courage to know that she is worth success and to chase that.

On Saturday, February 10, 29 girls from Gaffney High School stood up in front of their family, peers, teachers, and judges to speak out about what “girl power,” the theme of the night, means to them. It set the powerful and positive mood for the night of annual Miss Cherokeean Pageant, hosted by the Gaffney High School Indian Post Staff.

The pageant opened with each contestant participating in a choreographed dance to the song “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyoncé. After this, the pageant had officially begun. The night was split up into two separate sections: casual wear and formal wear. During the casual wear category, each of the girls found the courage to speak out about what “Girl Power” means to them personally. Their answers ranged from a heartfelt story about growing up in a household with a single mom, an account of them overcoming personal battles and rising up against them, or an analysis of their favorite quote or historical story about women taking a stand. After every girl had spoken, and after a brief intermission, the girls presented their formal wear. Though throughout the theme of the pageant they found that inner character is the true essence of beauty, the girls presented beautiful dresses. The remainder of the night consisted of various entertainment put on by students from the high school and of the long-awaited awards, where all contestants join in hands to hear the results of the night.

The winners are as follows:

Erika Quinn (9^th)

Anna Joy Hulsey (10^th)

Kassidy Perry (11^th)

Emily Harvey (12^th)

Jada Vergara (Miss Cherokeean)

Other Winners Include:

Ashlyn Wallace (Highest GPA – Senior)

Kassidy Perry (Highest GPA – Junior)

Christy Bolin (Highest GPA – Sophmore)

Princiss Jeffries (Highest GPA – Freshman)

Precious Smith (Spirit Award; selected by contestants)

Tekora Littlejohn (Community Service Award)

Miss Cherokeean Jada Vergara tells us, “I’m extremely blessed to have been crowned Miss Cherokeean 2018! I would like to thank everyone who supported me, and I send you all my love. Congratulations to every single contestant! Y’all looked absolutely stunning and were all winners in my eyes just for having the confidence to step out on that stage. Thank y’all for making my first and last experience amazing.”

We asked Senior class winner Emily Harvey what the pageant meant to her, and she tells us that, “Winning Miss Senior is a huge honor to me! I am happy to represent the class of 2018. I had a great time participating in the pageant. It allowed me to make new friends and enabled me to step out of my comfort zone. It also gave me the chance to promote girl power since we are all strong, beautiful women! I am beyond grateful to have had this opportunity.”

When we asked Junior class winner Kassidy Perry about the pageant, she told us that “The pageant was honestly just such an amazing experience, and it helped me find more confidence in myself. All the girls did so amazing, and I’m blessed to be Miss Junior.”

Sophmore class winner Anna Joy Hulsey tells  us that, “It was an honor to be named Miss Sophmore 2018. I had so much fun competing with my three best friends, and I can’t wait until next year!”

Freshman class winner Erika Quinn states, “I got to meet many new girls and create bonds with them that will last a lifetime! The pageant was a great learning experience, and it was so much fun to be a part of!”

Senior TeKora Littlejohn, the community service award winner, tells us about her experience in Miss Cherokeean, and she says that it was amazing. She states, “Being that it’s by senior year, I wanted to be a part of great memories that I could look back on, and the pageant helped me accomplish that goal. Through the pageant, I was able to have a blast with several talented and gorgeous young ladies.”

When questioned about her favorite part of Miss Cherokeean, sophomore Christy Bolin, the sophomore academic award winner, states, “My favorite part of the pageant is performing on stage. It allows me to show off my personality in a different setting.” She also mentioned to us that the pageant has become a tradition to her family, and that they all go shopping for the evening wear dress together. On the night of the pageant, everyone is there to support her.

When asked the very same question, Junior Yasmin Carerra tells us that, “The Miss Cherokeean pageant was an amazing experience. Everyone was kind, helpful, and encouraging towards each other. It did not even feel like we were competing against each other, but that were there to lift each other up. I liked that the most about the pageant.”

We want to thank everyone who participated in the pageant who was not a competitor.

The names of those are as follows:

Senior India Hopper, homecoming queen, who helped crown new winners

Mabryn Stanley,  Miss Cherokeean 2017

Senior Indian Post editor-in-chief: Alli McCraw, welcomed guests and introduced the emcee

Senior WJ Queen, Master of Ceremonies

Seniors Destinee Anderson & Bria Wise, dancers

Senior Isaiah Camp, rapper

Sophomore Zoe Hurst, vocalist

The Gaffney High School Indian Post Staff wants to thank everyone who participated in, helped with, or attended the pageant this year. As you came to support the girls, you were also funding our papers.

Don’t forget to check out our slideshow of photos from the pageant. All of the girls were beautiful!!

Gallery • 34 Photos