'I only had $40 in my pocket:' Miss North Carolina wants to show money isn't a barrier to success

Carrie Everett, who was crowned Miss North Carolina in June, is one step closer to becoming the next Miss America.

The newly-crowned Miss North Carolina sat down with WRAL News to discuss her goal of inspiring women and minorities, showing them they belong in every space they desire to be in.

Everett described the moment that changed her life on June 29 when she was standing on stage and her name was called.

"If you saw my face, I was actually just crying, bawling," Everett recalled. "I just kept thinking, 'thank you, God, thank you, Jesus.'"

Everett, who was previously crowned Miss Johnston County, is a sophomore majoring in vocal performance at North Carolina Central University.

Her already-busy schedule is now a new combination of classes, rehearsals, community appearances and preparing for the Miss America competition.

"I have my team, of course, working with me on interviews," Everett said. "I'm trying to get that school work [and] Miss North Carolina balance, but overall, I think this is the best place I can have to prepare."

Everett said her family struggled with finances, and the journey to the crown was a challenging one.

"I wasn't able to pay for an instrument, so I had to borrow," Everett said. "I wasn't able to buy all the evening gowns, so I had to borrow, or I had to go to a thrift store."

Everett explained her struggle is the reason behind her Miss America service initiative -- "We Need Equity to Build Communities” -- and why it's so dear to her heart.

"I want to create accessibility and show them that you don't have to be a rich person to be in this space," Everett said. "You can gain that scholarship just from having $40 in your pocket, like me."

Everett said her family immigrated to the United States, and her roots paved the way for her.

"My parents both grew up in West Africa, Liberia, the Green Coast, and they came here in 2003 due to our Civil War," Everett said. "I am so blessed to come from a family that are immigrants, because it's given me a unique perspective on how to approach life."

Everett is now hoping to now use her family's experience to touch lives around the globe.

"I would love to do humanitarian work and work in women's education [and] girls' education," Everett said. "I think education, as Nelson Mandela said, is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. So I want to make sure that young women all over Liberia and West Africa in general have access to a proper education."

Everett is busy preparing to represent North Carolina on the national level.

"My parents always said 'my ceiling is your floor,' and now I can really see that effort they put in," Everett said, explaining her biggest win is being able to inspire others to shatter the glass ceiling.

"I don't just want to be a part of service," she said. "I want to lead service for young people, and I want them to see that you should and can be involved wherever you go."

With the Miss North Carolina crown, Everett won a total of $23,500 in scholarship funding to pay for her college tuition and a car for her year of service. She plans to tour all historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the state during her Miss North Carolina reign.

According to Miss North Carolina, Everett is the fourth Black woman to win the title since the pageant began in 1937.

"When I registered to compete this year, I only had $40 in my pocket,” Everett said. “That is the reality of many young women in this country. I believe in the Miss America Opportunity, what it has done and what it continues to do for young women like me."