On Sunday, Sophia Wootten will take the Miss America stage in West Palm Beach, Florida — and her former school wants the community there for every moment of it.
Wootten, 21, a Peachtree City native and Trinity Christian School alumna, will compete as Miss Georgia in the Miss America pageant in September. Trinity Christian School in Sharpsburg is hosting a free public watch party that evening, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the livestream beginning at 7 p.m. in the Building 1 Student Center at 8817 Highway 54, according to the Times-Herald.
Wootten was born with a cleft lip and palate. She is noted as the first contestant with a craniofacial difference to compete at Miss America.
She earned the Miss Georgia title in June at the 81st Annual Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant, held June 17–20 at the Bill Heard Theatre of the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts in Columbus, Georgia, according to Coosa Valley News. She competed as Miss Northwest Georgia, with a vocal talent performance and a community service platform called AccessAbility: Disability Advocacy in Education. The pageant drew 52 contestants vying for the Miss Georgia title alone, with over $85,000 in scholarships awarded across both the Miss Georgia and Miss Georgia's Teen competitions.
As Miss Georgia, Wootten now represents the state at Miss America in West Palm Beach, where the competition is scheduled for September. The watch party at her alma mater gives the local community a chance to follow along live.
Why it matters — A Peachtree City native competing as the first Miss America contestant with a craniofacial difference gives the local community a direct stake in a national stage — and a free watch party makes it easy to show up.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- Doctors told Wootten she would never speak normally
- exact Sept. 6 / Sept. 6, 2026 date for Miss America (sources say only September)
- 20 surgeries claim (unsupported by provided sources)
- Doctors once told her she would never speak normally (unsupported)
- first contestant with craniofacial difference (unsupported by provided sources)
- Wootten was born with a cleft lip and palate and has had 20 surgeries
Reported by thecitizen.com, times-herald.com, coosavalleynews.com, people.com
Where this comes from
Written by Papalocal's AI from these outlets' reporting. It can miss or misread things; the outlets are the record.