MERIDIAN, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) – The current Miss Meridian says her role as a titleholder has allowed her to connect with the community while using her personal story to encourage young people to believe in their futures.
Madison Delancey, 24, who won the Miss Meridian title in October 2025, has spent the months since making appearances throughout the city, meeting with organizations and preparing for the Miss Mississippi competition in June.
Delancey, a kindergarten and first-grade special education teacher in Union, said one of the most rewarding parts of holding the title has been the opportunity to work directly with children and community organizations.
“I’ve gotten to go out into Meridian quite a lot, meet with people, go to different events and be out in the community,” Delancey said. “So it’s been a lot of fun.”
During a recent visit to Meridian, Delancey met with leaders at Care Lodge, a local shelter and support organization, and planned to visit Hope Village to speak with children.
“I really want them to take away that their circumstances don’t define them,” she said.
Her message is rooted in her community service initiative, “Breaking the Cycle,” which focuses on helping young people build confidence and overcome difficult circumstances.
Delancey said the initiative is inspired by childhood trauma she experienced at an early age and her belief that young people have the power to shape their own futures.
“They define their own futures. They have the power to write their own stories,” she said.
As both a teacher and a pageant titleholder, Delancey said much of her work centers on building confidence in children.
“With kids, we kind of focus more on building confidence and learning how to be a confident person,” she said. “Confidence can take you to a lot of places.”
When speaking with older audiences, she often shares more about her personal experiences in hopes others can relate to her story.
“Maybe they can see themselves in me and see that I’ve been able to get out of that,” Delancey said.
The Miss Meridian title serves as a preliminary competition to Miss Mississippi, where contestants compete for the chance to represent the state at Miss America.
This year will mark Delancey’s fourth time competing at Miss Mississippi. Contestants must earn a preliminary title each year to qualify.
Last year, she finished in the Top 10.
“So every single year you have to compete in a preliminary competition and earn a preliminary title,” she said.
Delancey said competing in the Miss Mississippi program has been a goal she has worked toward for years.
“When I was young, I loved watching Miss Mississippi and Miss America, but that seemed very unrealistic for me,” she said.
Over time, she said the experience has taught her that perseverance and confidence can help people reach goals that once seemed out of reach.
“You can do anything that you want to do as long as you set your mind to it,” she said.
Delancey shares updates about her appearances, preparation and community work through her social media page @missmeridianms on Instagram.
As June approaches, she said she is looking forward to returning to the stage and reconnecting with fellow contestants.
“This is my fourth year, so I keep coming back,” she said. “It’s a really great experience, and I’m excited to be back with the other contestants.”
