Lexie Harper had wanted to compete in Miss Mississippi, so when she did a prelim in October, her only expectations were to experience the competition and see what it was like.

So when she won the prelim and was named Miss Northeast Mississippi, she had already exceeded her initial expectations.

“I felt like it was God saying this is what he wanted me to do,” said Harper, a 2016 graduate of Northeast Lauderdale. “Whether I win at Miss Mississippi or not, I’ve grown so much as a person, so it’s been awesome.”

The Miss Mississippi competition takes place June 19-22 in Vicksburg, and the winner of that will go on to compete for the title of Miss America. For now, Harper is preparing for Miss Mississippi, and part of the competition includes a social impact statement. Harper is hosting a 5K May 4 in Oxford to raise money for Dress For Success, a non-profit that provides women in poverty with professional attire, job interview prep and resume assistance.

“I like to run; it’s one of the ways I stay in shape, and I felt like (a 5K) was one way we could promote health but also raise money for a cause that’s super close to my heart,” Harper explained.

Harper explained that her grandfather, Terry Harper, who is currently on the Lauderdale County School Board, grew up in Meridian in poverty, and with the help of her grandmother’s family, Terry Harper was able to get the support he needed to eventually finish high school and go on to play football at Auburn.

“He met my grandmother when he was in middle school, and her family provided food a lot of nights and even helped pay for his college,” Harper said. “I chose Dress For Success because if I could have that impact in someone’s life who’s in poverty like my grandmother had on my grandfather, that would be amazing. They were just friends in middle school, but they ended up getting married.”

Harper was a cheerleader at Northeast Lauderdale who also a student at the Carol Merrill Academy of Dance in Meridian. When she got to Ole Miss, she joined the Rebelettes dance team, and Harper plans to dance in Miss Mississippi’s talent portion. She said she was interested in Miss Mississippi early on in college but decided to wait a couple of years before pursuing it.

“I thought I needed to concentrate on myself and figure out myself and experience college and just grow as a person,” Harper said. “My junior year is when I felt like God was telling me to do this, so I decided to do (the prelim) last year.”

The 5K run/walk, dubbed by Harper as the Power Run, begins at 8 a.m. May 4 on Ole Miss’ campus, with registration opening at 7 a.m. The cost is $25 per adult and $10 for children, and $5 if you bring a pet. For more information, email Harper at clharpe1@go.olemiss.edu.