VICKSBURG – By the time you read this, Laura Lee Lewis will be aregular kid again.

Saturday night around 6 p.m., the reigning Miss Mississippi’sOutstanding Teen from Brookhaven removed her crown and placed it onthe head of another, her year-long stint as Miss Mississippi’sright-hand girl officially over. The 17-year-old Brookhaven HighSchool student stepped down from her high-profile position proud ofher accomplishments but sad to see the hardware go.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Laura Lee said. “I cannot say I’ve hada bad time – I’ve had the most amazing time of my life. I got totravel around the state and nation, into schools across Mississippito speak to children and I know young girls from all acrossAmerica. It’s kind of hard to give it up, but I know the next girlwill do an amazing job.”

Laura Lee said traveling from school to school and laying out herplatform, HERO (Honor Excel Reach Overcome), was the high point ofher time as Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen. The program isdesigned to encourage young girls to make good decisions and growinto wise young women.

Her time was an outstanding teen was reinforced last week duringpageant rehearsals in Vicksburg when a 7-year-old girl serving asone of the program’s princesses let Laura Lee know HERO isworking.

“One of the little girls came up to me and said, ‘I want to be justlike you when I get older,'” she said. “The mother came up to meand thanked me for teaching the little girls how to make goodchoices. It just kind of summed up my year and let me know I hadmade an impact in that girl’s life.”