For the 43 young ladies participating in Mississippi's Junior Miss, the week ahead is going to be full of fun, new friendships and quite a bit of stress. But the Board of Directors tries its best to make sure the girls feel at ease for the competition.

"The stress really doesn't hit until about Wednesday -- that's when they meet the judges, but we have a lot of fun events," said state program director Hampton Thames. "We'll take them to the water park one day, we'll have a karaoke competition one night at a downtown restaurant and then tonight we're going to be at The Park."

"I think it's going to be really exciting, a little bit of pressure because I know we're all here to compete for Mississippi's Junior Miss, but I know it's going to be filled with a lot of fun activities and great girls," said Petal's Junior Miss Brooklee Lightsey.

And one of the contestants that is definitely feeling that pressure is Sami Elkins, Scott County's Junior Miss, who is looking for a repeat for her home county after last year's win by Marianna Breland.

"Marianna has been a big help," Elkins said. "She has given me pointers on interview and talking to me and telling me everything is going to be ok and that it's going to be the most amazing week of my life."

One of the first thoughts that crossed Breland's mind last year when she won was that she would have to give it up in a year, and now that the time has come it is bittersweet for the soon-to-be Ole Miss Rebel.

"It's kinda like that Beatles' song I say hello, you say goodbye," Breland said. "I'm saying goodbye and they're all saying hello, but I want to embrace the change. I knew this was going to happen the night they gave it to me."

For many of the girls, being in Meridian with a new group of people is different, but Lauderdale County's Junior Miss, Lauren Rogers, embraces the opportunity to show off her hometown.

"I love the fact that I'm already familiar with this place and I can tell them about where we're about to go -- like the Park," Rogers said. "I explained what it was about and let them know what we were about to do."

And while some of the young ladies will take away several thousand dollars in scholarship money, each of them will leave with a new group of friends.

"Even though I have just now met these girls, I feel like I've known them my whole life because they're so easy to relate to and we're all here in the same position, so they know what I'm feeling, I can talk to them about anything and I hope to go home with many different new friends," said Cameron Wilcher, Leake County's Junior Miss.