HOSPITALITY
“That is our girl,” Griffin said. “She’s a winner.”
The primary responsibility of Miss Hospitality is to promote Mississippi tourism and serve as an ambassador for the state.
Having worked with a lot of young women throughout his years serving as a pageant director, Griffin said Little was one of the women who genuinely cared about Mississippi and making it a better place.
“She was a Mississippi girl 100%,” Griffin said. “We have so many young people who are completing their educational requirements and then leaving the state. She wanted to make sure she stayed in the state of Mississippi because it was home.”
Little’s mentor and former Starkville Miss Hospitality Kathryn Stringer said Little’s reason for participating in Miss Hospitality was rooted in serving others and building a better community.
“It is a pageant but it’s so much more than that. It is about promoting and helping our communities,” Stringer said. “That is what she was about. It was the perfect job for her. She’s the spirit of hospitality.”
However, Stringer said the quality that made Little shine most among others when preparing for these competitions was her fearlessness.
“She was 18, and she was fearless. The word fear was not in her vocabulary. For her to accomplish all she did is hard to believe,” Stringer said. “You’d think she was a 58-yearold woman.”
Stringer vividly remembers the last time she saw her. Little had been reading to children at Campus Book Mart as a part of her charity Reading Matters.
“She came in just smiling away. She just read this story with a dance and song. Then she performed it for me,” Stringer said. “She made it fun and silly just like she always did. That was a memory I am not going to forget.”
Little’s fearless personality radiated from her speech she carefully crafted for the Miss Hospitality competition.
“She shared her speech for Miss Hospitality with me, and it was about her flying around Mississippi to see all of these places that make Mississippi beautiful,” Stringer said. “She saw the best in people and the best in Mississippi.”
Griffin said he was always impressed by her tenacity since most high school graduates want to spend their summer before college relaxing.
Little, on the other hand, never had a spare moment between joining the Mississippi Air National Guard, preparing for Miss Hospitality competition and training for her pilot’s license.
“She is a hero as far as I am concerned because she willingly gave of herself to make a positive difference in the lives of so many other people,” Griffin said.
Despite their age gap, Stringer said Little will always be a role model in her life and serve as an inspiration to chase her dreams.
“She enlisted in the National Guard. She was getting her pilot’s license,” Stringer said. “She had all these dreams and was never afraid to go for them, chase after them with her whole heart. I am about four years older than her, and I look up to her so much and will always look up to her.”
It is through her powerful legacy Griffin finds hope during tragedy.
“It is our hope and prayer that in this tragedy that many other young people will look to Lake as a model and see that even though you may be young in age, you can still accomplish a lot,” Griffin said. “If you set your goals and you are willing to work, you can be a positive example in the lives of others.”