BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. — Berkeley County has a new statewide titleholder. Leah Scarmeas, a Cane Bay High School senior and longtime local resident, was recently crowned Miss South Carolina Teen USA in Spartanburg. Competing under the local title of Miss Charleston Air Force Base Teen, she will represent South Carolina throughout the year and on the national Miss Teen USA stage.
“I went into pageant weekend with such a calm and at ease mindset, full of gratitude to just be there,” Scarmeas said. “I felt comfortable and confident and truly just had such an amazing weekend. I wanted to have fun and truly soak up every moment—being authentically ‘Leah.’ And I did just that!”
Calling the win “a dream come true,” Scarmeas said she hopes her journey resonates with other military children across Berkeley County and the state. “I am beyond honored to represent our state this year and on the national level,” she said. “As a military child, I hope to set an example for them that they, too, can achieve their wildest dreams if they work hard and never give up!”
In addition to the crown, Scarmeas earned the overall interview award. “I love public speaking, and communicating my personal platform and who I am as a person was something I took very seriously and worked hard at every single day,” she said…