Mrs. Mississippi 2009 is not your stereotypical pageant girl.  Suzanne Duckworth of Jackson and current Hattiesburg resident is a 2006 graduate of the Associate Degree Nursing program at Jones County Junior College.  The 31 year-old has accomplished a lot in a very short time in her professional career as a nurse and competing in pageants.

Duckworth was the co-founder of a JCJC student nursing project, Grace’s Mission which is still influencing and educating young mothers about the dangers of SIDS. She worked in the Brain Injury unit at a Jackson hospital and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before moving to Hattiesburg. Duckworth is currently serving as the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency’s donation coordinator for south Mississippi and is married to Mississippi College law graduate, Matt Duckworth. 

After some prodding from her friend, Mrs. Mississippi 2006, Kristy Cronin, Duckworth decided to take a stab at competing again. High school and college pageants were different compared to this event she explained.  “I had fun in the high school and college pageants but I never won,” said Duckworth.  “They helped my self confidence and were character builders for me because I was the shy girl who was afraid to talk…. After I got married I didn’t think I could participate in pageants anymore.” 

Her first attempt in the Mrs. Mississippi contest was unsuccessful. So, with her pageant dresses in tow, she headed to Southaven for another opportunity at winning the crown and title of Mrs. Mississippi.  “I couldn’t believe they called my name!”  She confessed.  “Like I said, I’ve never won a pageant before.”

As the state winner, Duckworth flew to Tucson, Ariz. for the national Mrs. America contest with just three months to prepare. Admittedly, Duckworth said she had never competed in a pageant on the national level before so she wasn’t sure what to expect. “I felt so out of place,” said Duckworth.  “There was one girl who was an officer in the army and some business owners…. but I was overwhelmed because most were models and actresses which meant they were all 5’9” or taller. I am 5’6”.  You also have to be ‘on’ 24 hours.” 

Feeling a little awkward, Duckworth recalled another interesting situation in the pre-pageant events. “I was surprised to see some ladies wore high heels to build the Habitat for Humanity house,” said Duckworth.  “Mrs. Tennessee, my roommate and I, wore our T-shirts and flip flops.”

Being a Southerner was hard to hide too. “Many of the contestants didn’t have accents. So they kept telling me that I had a sweet voice.”

The ‘sweet’ Mississippi girl said the national Mrs. America pageant was an experience she won’t soon forget. She may not have captured the title, but she took home some great memories. “We all keep in touch.  Mrs. New York uses the Mississippi Christmas ornament as a learning tool in her classroom. The mentally challenged adults in the Mustard Seed program in Jackson made ornaments for me to use as gifts for all of the ladies to represent the state.”

Ironically, she claims participating in the pageants were only a part of her self- transformation. Going to nursing school at Jones really made a difference.  “I was my own worst enemy,” Duckworth said of herself.  “The Jones nursing instructors kept telling me there’s nothing you can’t do. They believed in me.” 

While at Jones, Duckworth shared that the nursing faculty really impacted her. “It’s hard to pin point one teacher because all of the instructors in the ADN program were amazing! The Student Nurse Organization advisors took the extra time to help mold our futures and showed us how to be leaders within the medical profession.”

Leading now seems to come naturally. Duckworth isn’t a heavy fisted dictator.  With her ‘sweet voice’, she has guided her husband into leading a healthier lifestyle. “One morning I woke up and told my husband we’re going to start running,” Duckworth explained.  “I have asthma and my husband has other health issues and I decided we’re going to do something about it.”

With her professional career in full gear, and her husband at her side, Duckworth manages to continue her volunteer work with the Mustard Seed program, the Craftsmen Guild and the American Lung Association of MS. Additionally, her husband and she compete in 5K runs throughout state. Competing again in the Mrs. Mississippi contest, she divulged, isn’t in her future plans. “Why tempt fate.  What are the chances of winning the state competition again?  I want to leave while I’m on top.”  

Duckworth’s future plans do include furthering her nursing education. She wants to get her BSN and master’s degrees.