Photo courtesy of Elaina Burt.
Elaina Burt
Elaina Burt
When the Miss Alabama competition is held this summer, one first-time contestant from Hoover will step onto the stage carrying both a lifelong passion and a deeply personal promise.
For Elaina Burt, who is serving as Miss Jefferson County, the competition represents far more than a crown — it is a culmination of purpose, preparation and perseverance.
Burt, a Briarwood Christian School graduate from Riverchase who is now a sophomore at the University of Alabama, is studying public relations with a minor in entrepreneurship on the pre-law track. She is also the founder of Charlie’s Chance, a nonprofit inspired by her late cousin, who struggled with epilepsy.
“I founded Charlie’s Chance out of what is a promise to her to continue that legacy and continue fighting,” Burt said. Through her signature fundraiser, Wings of Hope, Burt has raised more than $150,000 for the Epilepsy Foundation.
Burt’s pageant journey within the Miss America organization began in 2022, when she was crowned Miss Jefferson County’s Teen. Then in 2023, she was crowned Miss Alabama’s Teen.
“I have seen such exponential personal development, and it has paid for my education,” Burt said. “I will graduate completely debt free, and as a 20-year-old woman, that’s the most empowering thing that I can think of.”
On the Miss Alabama stage, Burt will perform a classical ballet en pointe to a medley from the Broadway musical “Oklahoma!” — a piece she calls the “cultivation of my dance career since I was 2 years old.”
Though she admits a “fear of the unknown” during the weeklong competition, Burt remains grounded in preparation. “When you really prepare, at the time you can enjoy the moment,” she said. “I am just going to have the time of my life.”
After several days of preliminary competition beginning June 3, the Miss Alabama pageant will culminate in the crowning of the winner on Saturday, June 6, at the Wright Center at Samford University.
