AUBURN, Ala. (WRBL) — There’s a new Miss Alabama USA in town and she’s one of our very own!

Miss Auburn-Opelika Kelly Hutchinson earned her crown Saturday at the Gogue Performing Arts Center. She says she’s excited to be able to bring the win home to the local community.

“I have loved my experience here at Auburn, I’m a senior now, and it has been just the most incredible atmosphere for me to grow, for me to learn, and for me to become the person who I’m supposed to be. It is just so amazing to be able to bring this home to Auburn! I think the last five Miss Alabama USA’s have all been Alabama fans, so I’m really happy to bring it back for Auburn this year. It’s just been so great to give back to this community that’s already given me so much,” Hutchinson explains to News 3’s Mikhaela Singleton.

Hutchinson says as the new Miss Alabama USA, she’d looking forward to promoting her platform on cancer research. Hutchinson lost her father to cancer when she was 15 and says she wants to help other children going through what she did.

“Something that I would really like to start is an organization for children with parents who are battling cancer or who have battled cancer. It’s something that you truly don’t know what it’s like to go through until you’ve been through it,” Hutchinson says. “I think that creating an organization to provide a community for children with other people who know what they’re going through could be really beneficial, and it’s something that we really need to have to support those children.”

Hutchinson adds she’s also excited to represent Alabama and hopefully take home the Miss USA crown in May.

She’ll be competing against the future Miss Georgia USA who will be crowned in November.