Miss Georgia Teen USA 2022 Courtney Smith is a rising junior and attends Maynard Jackson High School, an International Baccalaureate® (IB) World School. She loves to immerse herself in several school activities including school leadership, student clubs and cheerleading. Courtney is academically focused and a scholar at her school earning recognition as an honor roll student and serving as a member of the prestigious National Beta Club. One of Courtney’s most prestigious achievements was serving as the Georgia state president for the National Jr. Beta Club. Elected by thousands of her peers across Georgia, she holds this accomplishment and honor in high regard.

Outside of school, Courtney is a working actress and has enjoyed showcasing this talent since the age of eight. This fall she made her network television debut on the ABC cable network on the show “The Wonder Years.” Her first major acting job was in the blockbuster movie, Barbershop III, The Next Cut. Courtney is represented by the East Coast Talent agency.

She is active in her local community and is passionate about giving back. You will find Courtney volunteering and supporting a number of different service projects as a part  of her platform #STANDUP. Courtney engages youth to #STANDUP on important social issues including food insecurity, climate change, and bullying, while advocating for overall positive change. She is focused on youth, especially low income youth, and helps them develop leader-ship skills to positively impact their local communities. She has volunteered and presented to students in classrooms, after school programs, and community organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta.

To extend her reach across the state of Georgia, Courtney created a mentoring program for elementary and middle school girls entitled Next G.E.N. (Girls Empowerment Network) She created this mentoring group in an effort to encourage girls to celebrate their unique qualities while embracing their god, given talent. Courtney strongly believes that the development of character, self confidence and leadership skills in young girls will create positive results throughout their entire lives.

On the weekends, you will find Courtney watching or attending Division I SEC college football games. Her career aspirations include attending a top-tier higher education institution to study political science and journalism.