By Stacey Tinsley/Press-Tribune
Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Airline High School alumna Nikhia Sims was crowned Miss LSU 2024 in Baton Rouge on Sunday, March 24.
“I entered this pageant to meet new girls and make lots of memories that I will cherish forever. I’m so grateful to be competing for an opportunity to represent this amazing school that I get to call home. With the title of Miss LSU, I could use my platform to talk about topics that are important to me, like mental health. I would be able to get more involved on campus and have many opportunities to help make changes in this university,” Sims said ahead of winning the pageant.
Following her daughter being crowned as Miss LSU 2024, Sims’ mother took to Facebook to congratulate her daughter and to thank all of her daughter’s supporters. “My daughter is the new 2024 Miss LSU. We are still in shock, but she works really hard and I’m very proud of her. I want to thank everyone who made donations, calls, texts, messages and the prayers. This has been a long time coming for all the hard work she does. Nikhia Sims, I am so proud of you,” said Nikia Bailey.
The Miss LSU pageant has been a staple at the university for many years, and its impact extends beyond the pageantry of a single day. The Miss LSU Pageant, a preliminary for the Miss Louisiana Pageant, originated in the mid-1900s. It was initially known as the “Miss Darling” competition until officially changing to “Miss LSU” in 1986.
Sims, aged 20, is majoring in kinesiology.