Makayla Waiters, 8, has been chosen as a Virginia State Finalist in the 2017 National American Miss Junior Pre-Teen Virginia Pageant to be held July 27-29 at the Hyatt Regency Reston.

Makayla will advance to compete with Virginia finalists aged 7-9 in four required categories. She will conduct herself professionally in a job-style Interview; introduce herself on stage, to an audience, in Personal Introduction; present confidence, poise and personality in Formal Wear; and make a difference in the lives of others through the Community Service Project.

Makayla will also compete in the following optional contests: Photogenic, Casual Wear Modeling and the Top Model Search.

Makayla Waiters is the daughter of Michael and Erica Waiters and is a third-grade student at Western Branch Intermediate. Makayla loves fashion, playing sports such as volleyball and basketball, singing and dancing and just having tons of fun with her friends and family.

This experience will help Makayla to develop new goals and use the skill set that she acquires to help her excel toward being a leader of tomorrow.