Photograph courtesy of Savannah Miles
On a Zoom call on the first truly cold November day in Atlanta, Savannah Miles seems pretty much like any college student in her twenties, her high ponytail bouncing as she speaks about her personal experiences and dreams. But her attentiveness sets her apart in a digital world where people twice her age have trouble focusing–and when she responds, like the pageant pro she is, Miss Georgia USA hits all the right marks.
Miles, who was crowned Miss Georgia USA in June 2025, holds the title for seven more months until the 2026 winner is selected. A native of Gwinnett, she now lives in the metro area and attends SCAD Atlanta in Midtown, where she studies interior design.
On October 24, Miles represented Georgia at the Miss USA pageant in Reno Nevada; the winner of that competition goes on to Miss Universe. While she did not gain another crown there, Miles says she loved the experience and bonded tightly with other contestants. Looking ahead, she’s relishing her final months representing the state of Georgia.
“For me, living in Atlanta, a lot of those [Miss Georgia 2025] appearances will now be the Peach Bowl Parade when it comes in [on January 9, 2026],” Miles says. “So, it’s the big events that are huge for a Georgian that Miss Georgia obviously will be at, [including] a lot of really wonderful charity galas. I’ll be able to partner with great organizations in my hometown of Atlanta and throughout the state of Georgia, and I’m really excited to lean more into [that] now.”
As a SCAD student, Miles says the Miss USA competition was also an opportunity to showcase her peers’ talent. “Going to Miss USA, I was a SCAD walking billboard,” Miles says. “My stylist, who has become one of my best friends, is Ava Polvino, [a SCAD fashion design major]. She made a countless number of my outfits at Miss USA. Ava and [SCAD students] Sierra, Jason, and all of them in this last graduating class really stepped into my year as Miss Georgia—I was actually voted best dressed contestant at Miss USA, which is because of the fashion department at SCAD and its professor, Peter Jensen.”
Her interview outfit at Miss USA was made by a SCAD student named Ethan, who emboldened the back of her jacket with “Miss Georgia USA.” And her national costume—a peach—was designed by Polvino. “Ava designed this dress,” Miles says, “And even though it was made in Thailand, they did the whole design process for me.”
Miles will graduate from SCAD next December, and as she prepares for her last year, she’s reflective on the creative support and friendships she’s gained while working toward her dreams of a career in residential interior design.
“I think the biggest takeaway, as I look back, is that it’s not about competition within the SCAD environment—it’s all about collaboration,” she says. “I’ve learned so much about interior design, but I’ve also collaborated with people I would have never been in contact with unless we shared the same love for SCAD, whether it’s through the fashion department, the film department . . . or at another design school.”
One of her favorite experiences as a SCAD student was participating in student-crafted PBS docuseries chefATL, showcasing the city’s vibrant culinary culture and its chefs. The show was filmed at SCAD Film Studios Atlanta, the former home of Atlanta’s WXIA-TV.
“I was in two episodes as on-screen talent, introducing two chefs,” explains Miles. “One was with [Steven Satterfield,] the chef of Miller Union. Then we also did one with [Deborah VanTrece, chef of] Twisted Soul.”
Photograph courtesy of SCAD Atlanta
Miles says the experience working on chefATL gave her an appreciation for the culinary arts and showed her another way to enjoy time in the city. “I learned that there were so many different farmers markets that the actual chef was pulling ingredients from to make food that we sit down and enjoy,” Miles notes. “And [then] realizing that I had the same access to those resources. So now I go to the Grant Park Farmers Market and sometimes I might see the chef from [an episode] or his staff there.”
Filming with VanTrece at Twisted Soul gave her a new culinary indulgence, she adds: “They have these little salmon egg rolls that have become a new guilty pleasure of mine.”
Miles says she’s enjoyed the collaborative opportunities she’s found, both as Miss Georgia USA and as a SCAD student. That creative culture, she notes, is deeply embedded in SCAD, as well as the rest of Atlanta. “Our city does thrive on collaboration,” Miles says. “You’ll see that all across Atlanta, and I believe SCAD is at the heart of that.”
