Winner's lesson in perseverance

It was just a year ago that we said, Never has the saying "always a bridesmaid, never a bride been more appropriate than with 23-year-old Andrea Bailey of Evans, who for the third consecutive year has come in second in the Miss Georgia Pageant.

And not since Susan Lucci won a daytime Emmy has there been more anticipation over an award that never came. But this year the beautiful and talented Andrea Bailey finally won over the judges. Now a Savannah resident, the four-time Miss Georgia finalist this weekend captured the crown, and will go on later this year to compete as the Peach States representative for the Miss America title in Atlantic City, N.J., Sept. 20. (It will be televised locally at 8 p.m. on WJBF-TV.)

What a road it was to get to the Miss America pageant.

Bailey, an Evans High School graduate, won Miss Augusta four times, sending her into Miss Georgia competition. She was fourth runner-up in her first state pageant; the next three, tantalizingly close at first runner-up. Maybe it was the change in scenery; Bailey this year won Miss Savannah, propelling her again to state competition where the her fifth shot at the tiara - also the last one allowed by pageant rules - finally captured the crown.

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The first time wasnt bad because I was so excited to be there, she says. The next two times were a little more disappointing. But you learn so much more through your disappointments than your successes.

Its easy to dismiss the value of beauty pageants, but in addition to the fact that Bailey won $40,000 in scholarships for her efforts, she also taught us all one heck of a lesson about perseverance.

Congratulations, Miss Georgia. Good luck in New Jersey!