Miss Gainesville and Miss Ocala Competition to be Held at Eastside High School

The Miss Gainesville and Miss Ocala Organization Board of Directors have announced the 17th annual Miss Gainesville and Miss Ocala Scholarship Competition will be held on January 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.

The Miss Gainesville and Miss Ocala Scholarship Organization welcome young women from our area to the competition, which will take place in the Eastside High School theater located in Gainesville.

Local Executive Director Rachel Dickhaus said she is excited with the strength of this year’s delegates to the annual competition. “Our board is very pleased with the number of intelligent, ambitious, and talented women who have entered this year’s competition in the hopes of becoming ambassadors for the Miss America Opportunity,” Dickhaus said. “With the number of outstanding women participating in our competition, it will be a difficult task for our judge’s panel to choose the next Miss Gainesville, Miss Ocala, Miss Gainesville’s Teen, and Miss Ocala’s Teen.

Delegates will compete in several phases of competition, including interview, talent, lifestyle and fitness, and evening gown. During the competition, each delegate will also discuss her chosen platform, a social or community issue of concern to herself and society at large.

The winners of the Miss Gainesville and Miss Ocala Scholarship Competition will be awarded $1,000 in scholarship funds for college, graduate school, or other educational expenses. Additional scholarship funds will be awarded to runners-up and special award categories, such as the “Shout Out Sensation.”

During their years of service, Miss Gainesville and Miss Ocala will travel across Alachua County, Marion County, and the State of Florida speaking to government officials, business leaders, community groups, and citizens about their platforms and encouraging stakeholders to become involved in her cause. Winners will also be eligible to compete for the Miss Florida title held in Lakeland, Florida this coming summer.

“I have truly enjoyed my year of service as Miss Ocala and am proud to have traveled the state raising money and awareness through dance to make cancer a disease of the past, ” Miss Ocala 2024, Tia Unsell, stated. “I know that the leadership and public speaking skills I have gained from this experience will help as I continue to pursue my degree and branch out into the professional world.”