Anna Tadlock’s reign as Miss Mississippi 2009 will end tonight, and now she’s looking forward to the next chapter in her life.

“If I could do it all over again, I think I would,” said the 24-year-old from Brandon who will crown a winner in a live, 8 p.m. televised broadcast from Vicksburg Convention Center. “It’s a little bittersweet, and even though I’m sad to give it up, I’m excited for whoever gets the opportunity (next).”

Tadlock, who competed last year as Miss New South, said community service has been the highlight of her Miss Mississippi experience — “specifically the health programs that we did this spring.”

As part of her reign, she was the spokesman for “R U N 2 HLTH?,” the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians’ youth health campaign, and visited 20 elementary and junior high schools across the state to encourage exercise and healthy eating.

“In total, we reached about 6,000 kids,” she said.

The campaign was an extension of Tadlock’s personal platform, music education, for which she helped lead a scrap metal drive in the fall to raise money for the music program at Brandon High School.

Tonight’s new Miss Mississippi will represent the state in the Miss America Pageant, set for Jan. 15 in Las Vegas.

“Miss America was probably the experience of a lifetime,” said Tadlock, who was not in the contest’s top 10. “I walked away from that with a lot of confidence and a lot of maturity.”

For the next woman who will wear the Miss Mississippi crown, Tadlock says, “Be prepared to give up your schedule for an entire year, but expect to get so much in return. What you give up and what you sacrifice is very little in comparison to what you receive. It’s not just about making appearances and waving to a crowd with a beautiful dress on and a crown on your head.”

Tadlock is the daughter of Tommy and Felicia Tadlock of Brandon. She is pursuing a master’s degree in English from Mississippi College, and hopes to teach at the college level.

“I’m ready to start the rest of my life now,” she said.