UNC students win Miss Orange County and Miss Chapel Hill pageants

UNC junior Tisha Abdul and sophomore UNC law student Hailey Hudson were crowned the first Miss Orange County and Miss Chapel Hill, respectively, on Oct. 12.

The two titles are local competitions part of the Miss America Pageant system. BothAbdul and Hudson will compete at Miss North Carolina pageant in June. 

“I often times feel myself thinking that I live like Batman, like I have two lives, you know? I go to law school in my glasses and my sweatpants, and then on the weekends, I'm in stilettos and fake eyelashes," Hudson said. "I think it's really refreshing to kind of have pageantry as an escape and a hobby.”

Abdul said she entered the pageant world last year when she competed and won Miss North Carolina for the Miss World America organization.

“I found a community within the pageantry system where it let me express myself and use my voice to inspire other people,” Abdul said.

Hudson, who has been competing in pageants since she was six, said she fell in love with the pageant world. She said it provided her with strong public speaking skills and interview experience. 

Kim Roberts, co-director of Miss Orange County, said the five phases of the Miss Orange County and Miss Chapel Hill pageants include a personal interview, talent portion, fitness round, evening wear and on-stage questioning section. 

“Whether you actually title and continue to serve in that capacity or not, there's a fantastic opportunity for personal growth,” Roberts said. 

In addition to the main competition, contestants also design a community service initiative based on a subject they are passionate about. 

Abdul created the Smile 365 initiative, which she said serves underserved communities by providing them with nutrition, dental, mental health and educational resources. 

Last year, Abdul traveled throughout North Carolina, speaking to hundreds of students about mental health, nutrition education and overcoming adversities. Last December, she collected over 70 pounds of food that was then distributed to children in Orange County.

Hudson’s initiative is called Speak Up for Social Media Safety. As a teenager, Hudson said she was cyberbullied and sexually harassed online, which inspired her to take her experiences and turn them into “something beautiful.” She said she visits classrooms and speaks to children, teachers, young adults and parents to educate them about social media safety and awareness. 

“I didn't want to just be a victim. I wanted to be a voice instead. And so that fueled my passion for my community service initiative, Speak Up for Social Media Safety, and it actually kind of inspired me to go to law school,” Hudson said. 

For the talent portion of the pageant, Hudson performed “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from the Broadway musical "Funny Girl". She said that the song inspires her because it's about pursuing your goals and dreams. 

“I'm a first-generation college graduate. I'm from a rural part of North Carolina that nobody ever knows where it is on the map. I always remind myself that if you have a dream, if you just put in the determination and believe in yourself, you can't let anybody rain on your parade,” Hudson said. 

For her talent, Abdul performed a fusion dance performance with Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance, to American songs in the background.

Abdul said she has been dancing Bharatanatyam since she was eight. She said she decided on the performance because of her identity as an Indian American citizen.

“I just wanted to kind of mesh my two identities together and perform for my talent,” Abdul said.

To both women, the title is more than a crown. Abdul said she is one of the first Indian Americans to hold the Miss World North Carolina title. 

“I always wanted to do pageants, but I hadn't really seen that many people, especially who looked like me, who, coming from various backgrounds, go into pageantry in the United States,” Abdul said. 

She said one of her biggest icons growing up was Bollywood actress and Miss World winner Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Abdul paid tribute to Bachchan by wearing gloves and a similar dress in 2023, when she won Miss North Carolina.

Last year, Abdul said she faced personal challenges and familial losses.

“A lot of my pageantry platform now is turning your pain into power and letting that power fuel you,” Abdul said.

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