Murphy’s official pageant headshot.
BENNETTSVILLE—Mikeya Murphy, the Marlboro County Government director of public relations, fell in love with Marlboro County after she started her position. She told the county council that the heart of the people who live here made her want to represent the county in the Miss South Carolina USA pageant.
And on June 14 and 15, Murphy will be competing for the title of Miss South Carolina USA as Miss Marlboro County. If Murphy wins Miss South Carolina USA, she’ll move on to the Miss USA competition and have a chance to possibly become Miss Universe.
But she has to win the state first.
“I’ve been working for the county since February, and this is the most I’ve known about any county or any surrounding city, more than the ones that I’ve actually lived in,” she said. Murphy is a Dillon County native and has represented her home county in pageants before, as well as other S.C. counties, including Florence and Richland. But there was something different about Marlboro County.
“Out of all the years that I’ve competed and represented these places, I’ve never known this much detail, as much as I know now, as I have the privilege of working behind the scenes for the county,” she said. “More importantly, I’m in a position where I can tell the story through media, through the art of visuals and press releases, and different things like that. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to compete again, but as I continued to do my job, I was like Marlboro County is the place I want to represent.”
Murphy said she wants to bring more light to Marlboro County and she hopes to do that in the competition.
According to the Miss South Carolina USA pageant website, “The Miss South Carolina USA and Miss South Carolina Teen USA Pageants are looking for diverse young women who are not only beautiful, but intelligent and willing to share their hearts and minds as ambassadors to our state and nation. Winning titles of this magnitude catapults young women to instant fame where they simultaneously become role models. There is no end to the possibilities and opportunities that await, and their year as titleholders is certain to be one full of personal growth and development.”
The pageant has three equal competition phases, fitness, evening gown, and interview.
Murphy got into the pageant world when she was 18 years old. She said she was watching the Miss America pageant on TV and saw the talent portion and knew that was something she could do.
Being in pageants, she said, helped her define her passion — which includes production and public speaking, many of the tools she uses in her career. “Being in the industry for 12 years has cultivated all of those gifts,” she said. “A lot of work goes into it. It’s not just us getting on stage and performing or being entertainment. It’s us doing the community service work, it’s us doing fundraisers, it’s us meeting with legislators and different people in public offices.”
Murphy plans to bring the lessons she’s learned by participating in pageants to young women in Marlboro County so that the next generation can step up and represent Marlboro County in the future.
Want to go and support Miss Marlboro County?
Miss SC USA Pageant
June 14-15
7 p.m.
North Charleston Performing Arts Center
5001 Coliseum Dr.
North Charleston, SC 29418
Tickets can be purchased online at www.northcharlestoncoliseumpac.com/events/detail/miss-sc-usa-and-teen-usa-1
You can also support Murphy by donating at www.mikeyajanee.com/donate-pageant