click to enlarge - Courtesy Of Isabella Williams
- Left: Hannah Karki and Isabella Williams
You've heard of short kings — guys of small stature with big personalities. Now meet Vermont's short queens.
Last month, Isabella Williams of Orwell claimed the title of Miss New England Petite, while Hannah Karki of Essex Junction won the teen division of the same competition. Miss Petite is for women who are five feet, six inches tall or under, a group that sometimes faces discrimination in the world of pageantry, according to Williams.
"I think this is a cool moment for Vermont," said Williams, who is five feet, three inches tall. "Me and Hannah have been in this together since the beginning."
Karki, 18, is a senior at Essex High School. She started competing when she was 15 because she wanted to become more confident. She stuck with it and credits the competitions with helping her improve her public-speaking skills.
At the regional pageant, Karki, who is an inch shorter than Williams, touted the nonprofit she started, Safespace Suicide Prevention, which connects students with mental health resources. The Miss Teen New England Petite competition was Karki's first pageant win.
"Through pageantry, I definitely have found myself as a person," Karki said. "It just gives you so much confidence."
Williams, 25, started competing in pageants in 2022. According to her, that's later in life than most competitors.
"I'm just a small-town girl in Vermont," Williams said. "But I'm, like, very Vermont." Williams, who also won Most Photogenic and Miss Congeniality at the March pageant, thinks her small-town sensibility charmed the judges.
The seventh-generation Vermonter writes children's books and works as a freelance social media manager. She recently toured schools in South Africa with her book, Strong Girls.
Williams also cares deeply about sustainability and the impacts of the fashion industry on the climate. In 2023, she won Miss Vermont Earth — another regional pageant — while wearing a secondhand dress. At the national Miss Earth USA competition, she placed in the top 20.
Williams and Karki, who have become fast friends, said they're excited to attend the upcoming competition together.
"We'll help each other," Williams said, "so it'll definitely be fun."