The reigning Miss Gastonia has had to wait longer than most for her shot to upgrade her crown.
Julia DeSerio originally brought home that win some 16 months ago. That punched her ticket for a chance to become Miss North Carolina and, perhaps, Miss America.
COVID-19 crushed any chance to make a run at the state title in 2020 but a dream deferred is anything but dead. DeSerio said she s ready to take the stage again in June. There s never been a Miss Gastonia who s won before so for me the stakes are high, DeSerio said. But you walk in with the same incredible opportunity as everybody else.