Queens ready to compete for Miss North Carolina

They will first participate in preliminary rounds of competition that lead up to the finals of the Miss North Carolina pageant on June 28.

“I can’t wait to able to share my story and, hopefully, take the crown home to Goldsboro,” Carson said.

Carson, from Clayton, has competed in the Miss North Carolina pageant before. She was Miss Cleveland 2024 and is excited to embark on this journey again, representing Goldsboro, an area with which she has a history.

“I’ve been coming to Goldsboro since the second grade for dance, and so being able to experience more than just dance, and being Miss Goldsboro and getting involved in this community has been life-changing,” Carson said.

Carson, 19, is a rising sophomore at N.C. Carolina State University and is studying communications with a minor in business entrepreneurship.

“I currently have a photography business, and so I want to pursue that after college on the side, but I really want to get into some type of sports broadcasting or broadcasting, just in general,” Carson said.

Her Community Service Initiative, Empowering Expression, supports underfunded arts programs in communities and schools across North Carolina.

“Going into high school, I wanted to be part of my dance team, but there was not a dance team at my high school, and so I had to work to create that dance team with the dance teacher at school and raise funds for that,” Carson said. “Seeing the lack of funds for the arts in our schools, not only in dance but in the theater, bands, and art classrooms, fueled the passion for my community service initiative.”

For her talent, she will perform a dance to the Celine Dion song “All Coming Back to Me Now.” She performed the same song at the Miss Goldsboro pageant and is using it again because of its significance to her.

She broke her back while performing at Dance for Christ last year, and the song represents her ability to overcome her injury and return to the stage to do what she loves.

“I’m doing everything I can to keep my back healthy until the competition is over,” Carson said. “In the moment when I broke my back, I felt like everything was taken away from me.

“Going into this year, I’ve really focused on my story behind why I’m still dancing and not choosing to do another form of talent because I want to showcase that story and the hard work that I’ve put in.”

Carson only started competing in pageants when she was a senior in high school. Her older sister’s best friend, who was Miss North Carolina’s Teen, always wanted her to compete in pageants, and after convincing her parents, Carson was off to the races.

“I lost my first two preliminary pageants competing in the Miss America Opportunity before I won Miss Cleveland, and I got first runner-up at Miss Goldsboro last year,” Carson said. “Going into those, I was nervous, but coming back after having the title of Miss Cleveland and then competing for Miss North Carolina, I was 10 times more confident.

“I love to see my growth in public speaking. Before I ever did a pageant, you would never catch me talking to a stranger, but now, I’m able to speak in public.”

Lancaster is a rising junior at the Wayne School of Engineering and a Goldsboro native.

Her introduction to pageant competitions began at the Queen of the Fair during the the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair, where she earned first runner-up.

After enjoying the experience, Lancaster decided to compete for Miss Goldsboro Teen, after being encouraged by Kamryn Hollowell, Miss North Carolina’s Teen 2024.

“I heard a lot about the scholarships and the amazing opportunities, and it just pushed me to want to compete so much more,” Lancaster said. “Goldsboro is my hometown, so that makes it really cool for me to able to win for my hometown and do so many things.

“It’s just been the best experience ever for me, and I would do it all again.”

For Lancaster, being Miss Goldsboro Teen has been a dream come true, allowing her to become more involved and make a positive impact in Goldsboro.

“We were singing at a facility, and this was before I was even crowned, before I was able to launch Sound of Smiles with Miss Goldsboro. I was singing, and this lady was in the corner, and she didn’t talk at all and just looked very anxious,” Lancaster said. “All of a sudden, she started singing and humming along with us, and at the end of the set, she hugged me and told me she thought I was her granddaughter.

“When we left, the nurse told me that lady hadn’t spoken in two years, so that was a really cool experience.”

Lancaster said she has been enjoying her pageant experience and credits it with helping her get out of her comfort zone and push herself to limits she didn’t know she could reach.

“I think competing for Miss North Carolina’s Teen is a step up, and it’s going to be a great challenge for me, but I’m just excited for the experience and to do it all,” Lancaster said.

Her CSI is Sound of Smiles, where she goes around singing music from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s to seniors in dementia and senior care facilities.

“What that does is bring back memories for seniors, and brings them comfort and just helps boost their mood and reduce their anxiety,” Lancaster said. “Growing up, I always sang for my grandma and older people, and I decided that this was going to be my passion, and it was something that I really enjoyed doing.”

For talent, she will sing the Nina Simone song “Feeling Good” because the song represents the dawn of a new life for her.

“Stepping into the Miss America system was a new life for me,” Lancaster said. “It changed my life completely, so I thought this was a perfect song to do.”

In the weeks and months leading up to the state contest, Carson and Lancaster have been working hard to put the finishing touches on their talents, wardrobe, and interview skills.

“Every single night, I sing the song probably four or five times, and it just helps me get it in my brain, muscle memory, and makes everything flow smoothly,” Lancaster said. “Been walking in heels every single night to try to get ready to walk on the stage, so lots of preparation, lots of hard work, and it’s been fun.”

Preliminary rounds of competition will take place next Wednesday to Friday at the High Point Theatre in High Point, with the finals for Miss North Carolina 2025 and Miss North Carolina’s Teen 2025 taking place on Saturday.