The new Miss West Virginia, Miss West Virginia Teen will be crowned Saturday in Martinsburg

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The finals of the Miss West Virginia pageant will take place Saturday evening in Martinsburg.

Outgoing Miss West Virginia Karrington Childress and Miss West Virginia Teen Allison Dodson will crown their successors.

Before their last day to wear their crown, the two sat down on Panhandle Live. The two Jefferson County residents were asked about their most memorable experiences over the past year.

Childress, who is considering a career in elementary education, said she interacts with young people.

“It’s been just incredible. I'm going to cry thinking about it. I’m incredibly grateful for his experience,” Childress said.

Childress took a year off from her studies at Shepherd University while serving the state as Miss West Virginia, but plans to return to her studies in the fall.

For her part, Dodson, a recent graduate of Washington High School, said it was essential to bring her message of social impact to a broader audience.

“My ear was incredible, I traveled. I also spoke with children, but because of my community service, my project is related to the environment, so I can talk to everyone about it,” Dodson said.

The finale will cap off a week of activities for competitors from across the state who will compete in four groups in talent, fitness, formal wear and stage trivia.

Hosting the pageant this week will be Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier, a Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University graduate who says her accomplishments with the Miss America Organization and the Miss Virginia Organization meant $77,000 in scholarships .

Schrier, a Pennsylvania native, said she has passed through Martinsburg on I-81 several times on her way to and from school, and said she applauds the change in the Miss America organization, which moved away from swimsuits and body image:

“I am proud to be the first Miss America to have never worn a swimsuit at any stage of the competition in my entire Miss America experience,” Schrier said.

The preliminaries will take place Friday evening.

The finals begin Saturday with a red carpet arrival at 7 p.m. at the Airborne Event Center at 172 Creative Place in Martinsburg. The finals are set for 8 p.m.

All competitions are available via livestream with free public access. Follow Miss West Virginia Organization on Facebook for links.

The winners will compete in the next Miss America pageant.