Midwest City native named Miss Kansas

By Alyssa Dalley-Schofield

Midwest City Beacon

Miss Kansas was won by Midwest City’s own Courtney Wages.

Wages graduated from Carl Albert High School in 2017 and went on to Wichita State University. She graduated from college in 2021 and now lives in Kansas working full time.

“I mean it’s a very surreal moment because you know you worked so hard for it for many years so I was very at peace with what I presented and how I interviewed and it was just surreal when they called my name. I literally dropped to the floor,” said Wages.

Wages joined the pageant world during her college career. 

“My sorority sister signed me up just for fun and I competed in my first local and ended up winning. I literally just used my old prom dress and did a dance routine from high school and that’s what got me to my first Miss Kansas competition,” said Wages.

In preparations for the pageant, the contenders had an offstage interview where they were asked various questions.

“In my offstage interview I talked a lot about my community service initiative and my community service initiative is called the one vision is not the only vision, I see you and so I talk about working alongside people who are blind and visually impaired. We talked a lot about the job of Miss Kansas and what all that entails and why I qualify to be the next Miss Kansas,” said Wages.

The contenders also had to showcase a talent of their choice and Wages chose tap dance. She danced to “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston. 

“I have a performing background, but I always choose to tap dance because that’s the one style of dance that the blind and visually impaired can hear,” said Wages.

Wages correlated her attire to the cause she represented for the pageant. She wore texturized outfits to represent the other four senses used by the blind and visually impaired. 

The competition was held June 9-10 at Pratt Community College in Pratt, Kansas.

“It’s been very cool seeing the growth as I’ve competed through the years and what’s been even better is you know I call Kansas home but I will always have my Midwest City family and friends that support me and encourage me and you know Midwest City, the community’s great. It has really encouraged me over the years and pushed me and so I don’t think I would be able to do it without the community,” said Wages.

Wages will continue to represent Kansas at the Miss America pageant.