Mary-Coker Green, Madelyn Rasco crowned Miss Shelby County winners

Published 3:34 pm Tuesday, July 30, 2024

By Alec Etheredge

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By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE | Special to the Reporter

COLUMBIANA – Hundreds gathered at the Black Box Theatre at the Shelby County Arts Council on Saturday, July 27 for the 37th Annual Miss Shelby County/Miss Shelby County’s Teen Pageant.

The Vignette Club of Columbiana has sponsored the pageant since its inception, and Pam Roberts has been the pageant director for the past 14 years.

“These girls bring such joy to my life,” Roberts said. “They are the daughters I never had. They are smart, talented and beautiful.”

Miss Alabama 2024, Abbie Stockard, was the emcee for the evening where the 16 contestants took part in private interviews with the judges prior to the pageant, which counted for 30 percent of the score. Three events counted for 20 percent of the score—health and fitness, performing arts and evening gown—while the on-stage question counted for 10 percent.

After the votes were tallied, Mary-Coker Green was crowned Miss Shelby County 2025 and Madelyn Rasco was crowned Miss Shelby County’s Outstanding Teen.

Rasco, 16, is a junior at Pelham High School with a dual enrollment at Jefferson State Community College. She is a member of the Pelham High School dance team and is show choir captain. She won the Teen Talent award for her vocal performance of “I Dreamed a Dream.”

Rasco has been competing in the Miss Alabama’s Teen organization for several years, but the first preliminary she competed in was Miss Shelby County’s Teen.

“Because of the sisterhood that I gained from that very day I knew I was going to continue in this organization,” Rasco said. “The growth I have seen over these past three years in myself, my confidence and poise is impeccable all because of the amazing service and sisterhood poured into each and every girl competing. I am so thrilled to be your 2025 Miss Shelby County’s Teen.”

Her community service initiative is Following Faith: Spinal Cord Defect Awareness, in honor of her aunt who had spina bifida. She has already created a 501(c) 3 nonprofit and written a children’s book with all proceeds going to the Spina Bifida Clinic at Children’s Hospital. Rasco plans to obtain a B.A. in Vocal Performance and a M.A. in musical theater with hopes to perform on Broadway one day.

Rasco will be hosting a Walk-and-Roll-a-thon in Pelham during Spina Bifida Awareness Month [October], and said she will continue to involve her home community in building education, awareness and funding for the spina bifida association.

Green, 21, a senior at Auburn University studying both Agriculture Business & Economics and Public Relations. Along with winning Miss Shelby County, she was also presented with the Community Service Award at the pageant and also won the talent award for her fiddle performance of, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

She has been competing for Miss Alabama for four years and also competed in the teen program for four years.

“I pursue this goal in an effort to pay for my college experience myself and will have done so when I graduate in May,” Green said. “I was raised with the belief that you become like those you surround yourself with, I saw the Miss America Organization to be an opportunity to be surrounded by young women with ambition, drive, talent and maturity and become like them.”

Green’s community service initiative is ENGAGE: Building Health and Resilient Minds. She wants to be a voice of influence and education for those impacted by trauma.

As a senior in high school, Green was involved in a head-on collision accident that left her with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. She has written a children’s book, “The Girl Who Grew a Garden” to teach children the pain of losing someone or something they loved and use it to grow something beautiful.

“More than excitement over winning Miss Shelby County, I feel gratitude,” Green said. “I feel as though I was truly able to earn the relationships and wisdom I will get to receive from the women and mentors that work with the Miss Shelby County Program. There’s something really special about the Shelby County community that makes me particularly excited, they love and support one another well and I’m excited to get to meet and engage with those on a more sincere and intentional level.”

Other contestants for Miss Shelby County Teen included: Charlee Reed (first runner-up), Lyla Smith, Portia Hollis, Sydney Hodges, Josie Harrison, and Emily Hughes (winner of the Sparkle & Glitter award).

Other contestants for Miss Shelby County were: Evie Smith (third runner-up), Marissa Luna (second runner-up), Mary Elizabeth Adams, Jayla Duncan, Jada Winston, Sara Poole, Lizzie Bowen, and Reagan Hanson (first runner-up).

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