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Miss Louisiana 2020 Courtney Hammons takes her first walk with the crown on Tuesday in Monroe, Louisiana. She's cheered on by Miss Louisiana 2019 Meagan Crews and Miss Louisiana Outstanding Teen 2020 and 2021 Chanley Patterson.(Photo: Matt Sanches/The News-Star)
"I am up for the challenge of 2020, and I'm excited for this year," said Miss Louisiana 2020 Courtney Hammons.
She's not competing for the crown, but thatdoesn't mean Hammons is taking the work of being Miss Louisiana 2020 any less thoughtfully than her predecessors.
In a normal year, about 30 young women undergo a weeklong job interview for the state title, which leads to competing at the national level. Attempts to slow the spread of coronavirus have halted that in all 50 states.
In Maythe Miss America Organization announcedthat the national competition and all state-level events are canceled in 2020. Some queens continued their contracts for another year.
Miss Louisiana: Miss Louisiana 2019 ready to take wing
Miss Louisiana 2019 Meagan Crews is continuing her education at the University of Louisville in Kentucky this fall.
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The Miss Louisiana Organizationcrowned Hammonson Tuesday afternoon in the lobby of theW.L. "Jack" Howard Theatre in Monroe. She's taking the title without a competition week or the ability to compete for the Miss America title.
"It is a very difficult year. It's going to be a challenging year. I mean, 2020 had not been rainbows and sunshine, for sure. But I do want people to know that this is important to me, and it's important for me to let people know that I take it seriously. And I want to represent every Louisianian as best as I can. I want to make my state proud, and I don't take it lightly," she said.
The pageant to find Miss Louisiana 2021 is set forfor June 19, 2021.
All the young women who already earned titles this year are grandfathered in. The field of candidates, however, has not been finalized. Some might want to pursue other opportunities in their careers or personal lives. Candidates cannot be married and compete for Miss Louisiana.
Hammons was the first runner up to Crews as Miss Louisiana Tech 2019. She also won her talent preliminary by playingpiano.
Hammons has been part of the Miss Louisiana Organization since she was 14 or 15 and started as a high school freshman. Her first time to compete for the Miss Louisiana title was in her sophomore year of college.
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Initially, she was drawn to the Miss Louisiana pageants because of the talent portion. She said it was a perfect way to share her art while getting to have a social platform and stand for something bigger than herself.
She's been dancing since she was 3 and playing piano since she was 5. This year, she'd planned to play "Malaguea" on piano with an mp3 backing track. The Liberace-style piece was going to be "totally different" than anything she'd brought to Miss Louisiana before.
This would have been her fourth year to compete. She won the Miss Belle of the Darbonne title in July.
She's dreamed of being Miss Louisiana and worked for the job. Stepping into the role, she's eager for the philanthropic work that comes with the title.
I want to be the best representative that I can be for my personal social impact initiative for the food bank here in Monroe and for the Feeding America organization across the United States and also for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals," she said.
Miss Louisiana 2020 Courtney Hammons addressed the crowd at her coronation event on Tuesday in Monroe, Louisiana.(Photo: Matt Sanches/The News-Star)
Hammons' social initiative is Feed the Food Bank.
While not a reflection of the entire state or the nation, she said, the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana saw a more than 400% increase in web traffic in the weeks after schools were dismissed statewide to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
"It is pretty alarming to see the increased need right here in northeast Louisiana," she said.
It lets Hammons know her platform is needed, and she wants to educate people to donate and volunteer safely.
As a student, she directed the Good Nutrition Mission on-campus food pantry at Louisiana Tech Universityin 2018 and 2019. It was a partnership with the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana. She also worked on a partnership with the Ruston Farmers Market to promotesustainable agriculture and share nutrition education in the community.
Last year, she served as a dietitian and mentor at the LouisianaLionsCamp for children with diabetes.
The Choudrant native is working toward a master's degree at Louisiana Tech and plans to become a registered dietitian.
Hammons said she became passionate about nutrition when she was preparing to be on the Louisiana Tech Regal Blues dance team and prepare in Miss Louisiana pageants, which had a swimsuit portion at the time.
"I wanted to look my best but also feel my best and I wanted to fuel by body with nutritious food. I just loved everything about the science because it is..." she said. "I've always been interested in biology and how the body works and so it was just that one step closer. And my passion just lit up as soon as I knew what it was about."
Hammons said Miss Louisiana 2011 Hope Anderson has helped mentor her and fuel her passion. (Anderson works as the Miss Louisiana dietitian and helps young women prepare for Miss America competition and plan for healthy options.)
To reach her goal, Hammons has earned a bachelor's degree and completed an internship of 1,200 hours of supervised practice. Essentially, she was working 40-hour weeks while taking online courses toward her master's degree.
The internship was like a residency, Hammons said. The same way a doctor gets matched, they're matched with their organizations.
Throughout the internship, she acted as a representative of thedietitians. In the clinical setting, she said, it involves looking at commodities to advise people of the most nutrient-rich foods that will meet their needs. It's different than sitting down with someone looking for a weight loss plan.
Sometimes, she said, people thought she was a kitchen worker. Management can be part of the job, but she doesn't cook and serve all day.
She also wants to combat the idea that she's going to suggest the trendy diet at the time. It's about teaching people why it's important to eat nutrient-dense food rather than calorie-dense food. Many people, she said, are overfed and undernourished.
"I see being a dietitian as the science of nutrition and encouraging people," she said. "I personally just want to encourage people to just eat well and live well. Everything in moderation."
She said it can take some training and require a little more work in the grocery store, but it's possible to eat well affordably.
Everything, she said is about balance, and it's an approach she's applying to her reign.
"The (Miss Louisiana) Board had so graciously let me finish my master's this year because it is online basis, so I'm able to balance that this year," she smiled. "So I should have a master's degree by the end of this year, and I'm looking to take the RD exam the registered dietitian exam within this month, hopefully. We will see."
Previous coverage: Miss America, Miss Louisiana postponed because of COVID-19
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'I'm excited for this year': Meet Miss Louisiana 2020, Courtney Hammons - The News Star
