Sophia Wootten has had 20 surgeries in 20 years. She has also, in that same span, built a nonprofit, backed federal legislation, and — as of June 20, 2026 — added a crown to the résumé. The Rotary Club of Peachtree City welcomed the hometown Miss Georgia 2026 to share what all of it means.
Wootten, a University of Georgia student majoring in communication sciences and disorders, was born with a cleft lip and palate. The condition brought a speech impediment and a surgical calendar that would have defined most people's entire identity. Instead, she turned it into a platform — literally and figuratively — competing in the Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant in Columbus and winning the title.
Introduced at the Rotary event by Past District Governor Steve Ivory, Wootten laid out the practical work behind her message. Her nonprofit, AccessAbility Georgia, focuses on disability awareness, educational accommodations, and support for people with hearing loss and craniofacial differences. She also serves as a Youth Advocate for Smile Train and has supported legislative efforts around the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act, a bill that would expand insurance coverage for medically necessary treatment of congenital conditions.
You shouldn't have to earn the right to belong.— Sophia Wootten, Miss Georgia 2026
That line — spare and direct — captures the through-line of Wootten's advocacy: that disability inclusion and insurance equity are not charity, but baseline expectations. Her academic major, communication sciences and disorders, tracks directly with the populations she serves through AccessAbility Georgia.
Wootten competed for Miss America 2027 on September 6, 2026, at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Miss Georgia title is the state's entry point to the Miss America pageant, a competition Georgia has won twice — most recently when Betty Cantrell of Warner Robins was named Miss America 2016.
The Rotary Club of Peachtree City is part of Rotary District 6900. The club's event with Wootten was reported on the district's website.
Why it matters — A Peachtree City native is using the Miss Georgia platform to push for real policy change — expanded insurance coverage for congenital conditions — while running a nonprofit that directly serves local families affected by disability.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- Wootten's talent at the Miss Georgia pageant was a vocal performance.
- Wootten represented Northwest Georgia in the Miss Georgia competition.
- 81st Annual
- $25,000 scholarship
- 21-year-old
- October 19, 2026
Reported by rotary6900.org, wrbl.com, macon.com, en.wikipedia.org, coosavalleynews.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.