Miss Mississippi Volunteer
Lauryl Joyner
Lauryl Joyner is a 19-year-old native of Meridian, Mississippi, and sophomore at The University of Southern Mississippi, where she studies Strategic Communications and Marketing. She plans to become a sideline reporter for the NFL. At USM, she was chosen as Freshman of the Year and a Homecoming Maid and is a member of the Honors College.
On July 6th, 2024, Lauryl was crowned the state’s fourth ever Miss Mississippi Volunteer in Tupelo. The Mississippi Volunteer Pageant is a state licensee of the national Miss Volunteer America Pageant, which is based in Tennessee and seeks to empower young women across the nation through educational scholarships and extraordinary opportunities. Lauryl joins the ranks of three previous Mississippi women, all of whom went on to place in the Top Five at the national competition.
Lauryl was awarded just over $10,000 in cash and in-kind scholarships. In her free time, she enjoys social media content creation, graphic design, modeling, photography, and staying involved in various campus initiatives at USM.
Lauryl’s platform is The Girl Collective, a mentorship program focused on establishing a strong sense of belonging, lasting confidence, and a unified community for young women and girls. She has dedicated more than 600 hours to advocating for this cause and other important volunteer initiatives, including hosting monthly Girl Collective meetings in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Mississippi.
Lauryl serves as the official spokesperson of the Mississippi Highway Patrol’s D.R.I.V.E. Campaign, teaching life-saving driving practices to teens across the state.Additionally, Lauryl serves as an official ambassador of The Salvation Army and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She, alongside Miss Mississippi Teen Volunteer Izzy Karns, utilizes her title to volunteer, advocate, and raise funds for these important causes throughout the year.
She will represent Mississippi at the national Miss Volunteer America Pageant in June in Jackson, Tennessee.
Lauryl looks forward to serving her home state this year and utilizing the title to further the mission of the Miss Mississippi Volunteer program, which focuses on providing young women with educational scholarships and extraordinary opportunities. In her first two months with the title, Lauryl had already made 30+ appearances, traveling over 5,000 miles.
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