Miss Heritage Kimberly Nicole Morgan, a 24-year-old graduate of Alcorn State University, was crowned Miss Mississippi 2007 Saturday night in the 50th crowning of a state titleholder in Vicksburg.

&#8220Words can’t express what I am feeling,” Morgan said after being crowned by Miss Mississippi 2006 Taryn Foshee at the Vicksburg Convention Center. &#8220God has answered my prayers. Now I’m looking forward to the rest of the year and the Miss America pageant, and I’m ready.”

While in grade school, Morgan said after the pageant, she dreamed of being Miss America and once announced it to her classmates. &#8220All the other kids were saying they wanted to be doctors and lawyers, and I raised my hand and said I wanted to be Miss America.”

The national pageant will be in January.

On Saturday night, Morgan had other plans. &#8220I want to take a good hot bath and eat some shrimp Alfredo,” she said.

This year’s state pageant was marked by the return of nearly 30 former Miss Mississippis, including Miss Americas Mary Ann Mobley and Lynda Lee Mead.

Morgan won a $15,000 scholarship and will attempt to become the fifth Mississippian to win the Miss America pageant. It was her second attempt to win the state pageant.

In the talent competition, Morgan, a music teacher with the Quitman County School District, sang &#8220Summertime” from &#8220Porgy and Bess,” which on Thursday night made her one of the preliminary competition winners.

At Alcorn, the daughter of Elzie and Valerie Morgan of Oxford had been an Alcorn Campus Queen and was named Miss Alcorn State in 2005 and Miss Sourthwest in 2006.

Asked about being the second black woman to be crowned Miss MIssissippi, Morgan said, &#8220Oh goodness, I can only say God is good and I give all glory to him, because he allowed this to happen.

First runner-up Miss University Amanda Harmon had praise for Morgan. &#8220Kimberly’s been such a blessing to me this week, and no one deserves it more than she does.”

Others in the Top Five were second runner-up, Miss Leaf River Valley Natalie Goldman; third, Miss New South Anna Elizabeth Tadlock; and fourth, Miss Mississippi State University Danielle Smith.

Rounding out the Top Ten were Miss Pontotoc Tara Tutor, Miss Tupelo Corie Philece Stanford, Miss Byram/Tri-County Rachael Shannon, Miss Tougaloo Jasmine Chardae Hughes and Miss Mid South Catherine Carter.

The festive week to mark the 50th Vicksburg crowning saw a departure from the usual Wednesday-Thursday-Friday preliminary competition nights. Instead, this year, the competition ran Tuesday-Thursday, and the annual parade was on Friday night. Many of the former state titleholders rode in the parade and appeared at the Queen’s Ball, a gala at Rainbow Arena later that night.