Manning High School graduate Shana Dukes keeps herself business as an agricultural business major at South Carolina State University.
She's taken on a lot more responsibility recently after winning the title of Miss Black South Carolina U.S. Ambassador 2017.
"This was not my first pageant," said Dukes, a Manning native. "I have done a few pageants over the last few years. I am currently Miss Congeniality for the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and Miss Nu Iota for the Nu Iota Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America."
Dukes was selected from a series of candidates as an at-large delegate for the state title.
"The system didn't have a state pageant this year, so I was hand-selected from a series of candidates as an at-large delegate, ultimately winning the state title," she said.
Dukes was an active student at Manning High, she said, as part of the FFA, the Beta Club and as the co-founder of Monarchs Making Miracles. She graduated in 2015.
"I am currently in the process of preparing for my journey to the National Miss Black U.S. Ambassador Pageant 2017," she said. "This year, the organization will be hosted by Disney in Orlando, and will be the first African-American pageant system to take over the park."
As the state title-holder, Dukes said she is responsible for "being an ambassador of change for young women across the state."
"This means encouraging them through workshops, community activism, educational engagement and being an example of class and excellence," she said. "Some of my more tangible duties include mentorship, introducing young women, particularly those in the minority community, to something bigger than what they are comfortable with and encouraging them to never doubt their dreams, no matter how big or small they seem."
Dukes said she wanted to participate in the Miss Black U.S. Ambassador system "because it would be beneficial to me in multiple ways."
"The system gave me a different outlook on pageants," she said. "The system showed me that the crown and sash was not the big idea, but rather the service that comes with it."
She said she believes pageants are more than simply "beauty contests."
"Pageants are a way to engage young women through the lens of a crown," she said. "It's made of jewels and captivates them. It's a tool, a mechanism to draw them in, not an end-all, be-all. Beauty contest are a thing of the past with a variance of systems. Miss Black U.S. Ambassador in particular is far more than that."
Duke said that during her competition week, less than 25 percent of the time was focused on the actual competition.
"For seven days, we are engaging with one another in career-building workshops, cultural experiences, etiquette sessions, self-confidence talks, and luncheons with political powerhouses and community officials," she said. "It's so much more than just beauty. It's about being an ambassador of change within yourself, others and the community-at-large."
Dukes said her future goals include, but are not limited to furthering her military career.
"Serving my country is one of the things I am proudest of," she said. "I made the decision to join the military at a young age, 17, and I plan on building upon my early foundation."
On the civilian side, Dukes is pursuing her bachelor of science degree in agricultural business, but her ultimate goal is to operate something that gives back to the community.
"My ultimate goal is to launch a non-profit organization that offers scholarships, counseling and rehabilitation for girls and women in need."
