When the judges scores were tallied on Saturday evening an Elizabethton woman captured the title of Miss Watauga Valley 2017.
Out of a field of six contestants, Peyton Wilson, 20, received the highest score and was crowned Miss Watauga Valley 2017. Earning the title through the scholarship program earned Wilson the chance to go to Jackson, Tenn., next year to compete for the title of Miss Tennessee.
This will mark Wilson’s second trip to the state pageant. Prior to Saturday night’s victory, Wilson won Miss McMinnville 2016 which enabled her to compete for Miss Tennessee.

The 2015 graduate of Elizabethton High School is currently attending East Tennessee State University where she is majoring in English with a minor in Journalism.
Wilson’s platform issue is one that is very near and dear to her heart.
“My platform is on character education, particularly the Character Counts program,” Wilson said. “I looked into it and Carter County does not have a Character Counts program.”
The Character Counts program focuses on the six pillars of character which the program identifies as trustworthiness, fairness, respect, caring, responsibility and citizenship.
Wilson said she chose the platform because it has personal meaning in her own life.
“I actually have Tourette Syndrome and I was bullied a lot,” Wilson said.
Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder that is characterized by involuntary tics and vocalizations and, in some more severe cases, the compulsive utterance of obscene words or phrases. While most people associate Tourette Syndrome with the individuals who uncontrollably say obscene things, Wilson said that is not what most people with the disease experience.
“Mine is very mild, so I’ve been lucky,” she said. “It’s a disease that doesn’t get worse as I age, it has actually gotten better.”
Raising awareness about Tourette Syndrome was once Wilson’s main focus, but now she wants to bring a message of acceptance and anti-bullying to a larger audience because everyone has either experienced bullying or knows someone who has.
“My main goal is to show people that every word you say impacts someone, and it’s up to you to make that for something positive,” she said.
On her path to capture the crown, Wilson had to compete in both a private interview with the judges, an on-stage single question interview during the pageant, evening wear, swimsuit and the talent portion of the contest. For her talent, Wilson performed the song Habanera from the opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet.
In addition to crowning a new Miss Watauga Valley on Saturday evening, judges also selected a new Miss Watauga Valley’s Teen Princess 2017.
Peyton Jones, a 14-year-old from Fayetteville, Tenn., was selected from a field of three competitors for the title. After graduating high school, Jones hopes to attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she plans on majoring in veterinary medicine.
Saturday evening marked Jones’ first victory in the Teen Princess program.
While her platform issue has not affected her personally, it is one that made an impact on Jones.
“My platform is child hunger awareness,” Jones said. “When I was little, my aunt took me to a local food distribution center and I realized how big an issue it is in our society.”
Following her win on Saturday, Jones will travel to compete in the Tennessee Teen Princess pageant in 2017.