Morgan Jackson

Early pageants

In August 2006, at age 12, Jackson won the Miss Harvest Homecoming's Outstanding Teen 2007 title. She competed in the June 2007 Miss Indiana's Outstanding Teen pageant and claimed the state title with a lyrical ballet performance. She was named was a Top 10 finalist for the national Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2008 title.

In November 2013, Jackson won the Miss Metropolitan title. She competed in the 2014 Miss Indiana pageant with the platform "Project Educate - Changing Lives Through Education" and a dance performance in the talent portion of the competition. She was named was second runner-up to winner Audra Casterline. Jackson represented Indiana at the National Sweetheart 2014 pageant but was not a finalist.

Miss Indiana 2015

In August 2014, Jackson was crowned Miss Harvest Homecoming 2014. She entered the Miss Indiana pageant in Zionsville in June 2015 as one of 35 qualifiers for the state title. Jackson's competition talent was a lyrical ballet performance to "It Is Well With My Soul" as sung by Guy Penrod. Her platform is "Project Impact: If Not You, Then Who?".

Jackson won the competition on Saturday, June 20, 2015, when she received her crown from outgoing Miss Indiana titleholder Audra Casterline. She earned thousands of dollars in scholarship money and other prizes from the state pageant. As Miss Indiana, her activities include public appearances across the state of Indiana.

Vying for Miss America 2016

Jackson was Indiana's representative at the Miss America 2016 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in September 2015. In the televised finale on September 13, 2015, she placed outside the Top 15 semi-finalists and was eliminated from competition. She was awarded a $3,000 scholarship prize as her state's representative.

Early life and education

Jackson was born in Tampa, Florida, moved with her family to Indiana when she was an infant, and has been a resident of Charlestown, Indiana, since 2005. Her father, Gregg Jackson, is a former pastor. Her mother, Trina Collins Jackson, was crowned Miss New Mexico 1984. She has three younger brothers.

She enrolled at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2012 but left after one year. She is a student at the University of Louisville where she studies communications.