Lisa Rae White won the title as Miss Deaf Georgia 1996-1997 in Clarkston,
Georgia while competing with three (3) other ladies. Shirley "Shae" Osborne, the first runner up won the Best talent, Best Evening Gown and Miss Congeniality Award.
Lisa entered the Miss Deaf America pageant in Portland, Oregon in 1996 to compete with 31 contestants. Her talent was doing the monologue called "Dream".
Lisa commented what she had learned from her experience at those two pageants:
"I was enriched by this experience. It helped build my self-esteem, self-confidence, and I learned a lot more about who I am as a young Deaf women. I learned that anything was possible and that it was important for us to encourage the young Deaf women today to be strong and who they are. I believe that this experience strengthened my leadership skills and made me who I am today."
