Miss Mississippi 2010 Sarah Beth James turns over her crown and title tonight, but the memories she gets to keep.

James, 21, says she looks forward to resuming her studies at Mississippi State University and not having to wear makeup, but she will always think fondly of a year filled with experiences.

“People ask me all the time what it was like to be in the Miss America Pageant, and I have yet to come up with the right adjective to describe this year,” she said. “The ones that come to mind are unforgettable, overwhelming, kind of scary, really exciting…just incredible.”

James is the daughter of David and Faye James of Madison. The height of the past year, she said, was playing the piano on the stage of the Miss America Pageant, where she was a non-finalist talent winner. James said she practiced every day, one to two hours, to prepare.