Bryxton Hansard competed in her first pageant — the Miss Buford pageant — when she was 4 months old. In June, the now 6 year old was crowned Miss Elementary America in the first grade division.
Bryxton is the daughter of Buford residents Kelly and Jonathan Hansard.
“The look on her face when she won was priceless,” Jonathan said. “When her name was called, it was just a rush of emotions and a reminder that hard work and perseverance can lead to amazing outcomes.”
All four of Bryxton’s grandparents, as well her three brothers, were at the pageant in Little Rock, Arkansas, when Bryxton was crowned.
“Everyone jumped up screaming and cheering,” Jonathan said. “We had several friends who were watching live at home and our phones started blowing up — it was such a neat moment for her that we will cherish forever.”
Bryxton represented Georgia as Miss Georgia Elementary in the pre-school to second grade division in the Miss Elementary America Pageant. As a newly crowned national winner, Bryxton looks forward to traveling.
“I can’t wait for all the trips and flying on an airplane because I’ve never flown before,” she said.
“We are very excited about the opportunity for Bryxton to represent the Miss Elementary America organization,” Kelly said. “She’s learning many valuable life lessons through this experience building confidence, leadership skills, and communication skills. More importantly, she has formed many lifelong friendships with the sweetest girls.”
What’s the best part about competing in pageants?
“Definitely all the new people I get to meet and the friends I’ve made along the way,” Bryxton said. “As far as the competition goes, I love talking to people so interview is my favorite!”
Bryxton plans to take a year off from competing in pageants to focus on community outreach. She will promote B.R.A.V.E., an acronym for “Building Respect And Values for Everyone,” which is a national platform to create awareness and promote safe and bully-free environments. She has set a goal to reach at least one classroom in every state across the country through the campaign.
Once a week, Bryxton will also meet for the Sandwich Project, a nonprofit organization that makes fresh, homemade sandwiches to address food insecurity in the Buford and Flowery Branch communities. In just the past year, Bryxton and her friends working on the project have prepared, collected and distributed more than 10,000 sandwiches. Follow the Sandwich Project on Instagram @the_sandwich_project_buford_fb.
Bryxton is also part of a service project called Linked Together that repurposes plastic grocery bags to make sleeping mats for individuals in need. Follow that project on Instagram @linkedtogetherproject.
FEATURED PHOTO: Bryxton Hansard of Buford is crowned Miss Elementary America in the first grade division in June 2023 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Photo courtesy of Kelly Hansard.
