FORMER EBHS STUDENT GOES TO COURT

ELIZABETHTOWN – Hailey Hudson, a Bladen County native and the reigning Miss Chapel Hill 2025, has been named to the 78th annual North Carolina Azalea Festival Queen’s Court.

Hudson was selected from a pool of women vying for the Miss North Carolina crown in June. The Queen’s Court is composed of eight local titleholders from across the state. The titleholders will spend the week in Wilmington alongside escorts made up of cadets from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia.

The Queen’s Court is a long-standing and prestigious tradition for local titleholders in the Miss North Carolina scholarship organization to take part in. As a member of the court, Hudson will accompany the Azalea Festival Queen to notable festival events throughout the week of April 2-6, one of which is the Azalea Festival parade in downtown Wilmington on April 5.

Hudson graduated summa cum laude from East Bladen High School in 2019 and is a Phi Beta Kappa, first-generation 2023 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Media and Journalism with a second major in Political Science.

She still attends school in Chapel Hill, as she is a current second-year law student at the University of North Carolina School of Law. Hudson was crowned Miss Chapel Hill 2025 on October 12th, 2024 and will go on to compete at the 2025 Miss North Carolina pageant in High Point, NC from June 24-28.

The pageant will consist of five phases of competition: private interview, on-stage question, fitness, talent, and evening gown. Interview comprises 30% of the total score, on-stage question accounts for 10%, and the remaining areas each account for 20%. Hudson does a vocal performance for talent and is able to sing at appearances.

The winner of Miss North Carolina receives a $20,000 scholarship and the opportunity to represent the Tar Heel state at the national Miss America pageant. The Miss North Carolina pageant is a scholarship organization for young women and is a state affiliate of the Miss America Opportunity.

As Miss Chapel Hill, Hudson has traveled to various schools across the state to speak about her community service initiative, “Speak Up for Social Media Safety,” a cyber safety advocacy and educational tool. Hudson chose this as her community service initiative due to her own experiences being a victim of cyberbullying and online harassment.

Additionally, she has made multiple appearances at events in the Bladen County community and schools. Hudson is the daughter of Shannon and Amy Hudson of Harrells, NC.

She would love to make an appearance at or entertain at any event free of charge, as well as speak at any event, visit any school, classroom, or organization meeting. To book Hudson for appearances, you can contact her by email at haileyhudson@unc.edu.