Victoria Huggins, Miss North Carolina 2017, visited Dillon Middle School recently. Student Government President Logan Grice introduced Ms. Huggins, who spoke to students about the importance of persevering in the pursuit of one’s dreams. In her lively and entertaining talk, Ms. Huggins told students about how she competed in the Miss North Carolina Pageant four times before winning the title on her fifth try. She told the students that she was determined to keep trying to win because winning the title meant earning thousands of dollars in scholarships that would help her to achieve her ultimate goal of graduating from college debt free.

Ms. Huggins, originally from Saint Pauls, North Carolina, has traveled nationwide as a motivational speaker and singer since the age of seven. She has performed in such venues as the Alabama Theatre and on television shows such as “It’s Showtime at the Apollo” and “American Idol.” She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and she is currently pursuing her master’s degree online from Johns Hopkins University. A former morning news producer and reporter for WECT news station in Wilmington, NC, Ms. Huggins is currently the manager of community and media relations for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers Minor League Baseball team.