October 1, 2016 (More Photos - Album1, Album2) - The Center High School Cafetorium was filled without an empty chair available to view the coronation ceremony of the East Texas Poultry Festival Queen's Scholarship Pageant as the 2015 Queen Kamaryn Smith placed the crown on the new 2016 Queen, Madelynn Hutchins.
With Chris Watlington serving as the master of ceremonies, candidates were escorted onto the stage and introduced to the audience while they demonstrated their stage presence. The children's court then join the queen candidates on stage and were interviewed by Watlington concerning their experiences during the Poultry Festival pre-events especially having the opportunity to ride in the Doo-Dah Parade.
Special guests attending the Scholarship Pageant were past queens who Watlington introduced and welcomed to the stage to discuss their experiences with past pageants. Past Queens attending were 2014 Queen Zoey Stuever, 2013 Queen Makayla Perry, 2010 Queen Sarah Harkness, 2009 Queen Megan Hart, 2008 Queen Madison Jones (The first 'Junior' queen, pageant contestants had to be in their junior year of high school,) 2008 Queen Audra Wilburn Richburg (The last 'Senior' queen,) 1999 Queen Dr. Carmen Mackey, and 1984 Queen Shana Brittain.
The final walk of honor was made by Queen Kamaryn Smith with her escort Austin Craig by her side before awards were given and the top candidates were announced.
The top three candidates were Madelynn Hutchins, Rylee Morris, and Emma Locke. The interview question asked of them by Watlington was 'What does success mean to you?'
Miss Hutchins referenced her experience with FFA and setting goals, "In my life, success means to me setting a goal and taking steps to get there and one day achieving that goal. And that is the best feeling ever, that sweet success that other people may not realize but that you on the inside know you worked really hard to get there."
Miss Locke responded, "Success to me is not only personal gain but accomplishing a goal that not only helps yourself but everyone around you and that your family and friends and everyone else can be proud of. To be successful doesn't necessarily mean that you win but that you accomplish the goal that you set yourself to do. I feel that success is important in our life because without goals we would never have a set mountain to reach so to speak."
Miss Morris' answer to the question was, "Success to me would have to be achieving your goals whether that would be being a good example which is my goal, I try throughout everything that I do to be a good example and show that hard work pays off and or whether that be going to college which is also one of my goals. Going to college and eventually going to medical school and becoming a surgeon. Also, I believe that success could also mean being a mother. I think that was one of my personal goals, being a mother and raising a good family to hold values that are true to me."
First runner-up was announced to be Rylee Morris and second runner-up was Emma Locke.
Additional awards given were:
Doo-Dah Parade
Sweepstakes Award - Madelynn Hutchins
Presidential Award - Lexi Moody
Mayor's Award - Jessye Massey
Honorable Mention - Alexia Baldwin
Miss Congeniality - Lexi Moody
Committee Award - Elizabeth Chavez
Essay
Winner - Emma Locke
1st Runner-up - Rylee Morris
2nd Runner-up - Madelynn Hutchins
Most Photogenic
Winner - Emma Locke
1st Runner-up - Lexi Moody
2nd Runner-up - Madelynn Hutchins and Katelyn Jackson
Social Skills
Winner - Emma Locke
1st Runner-up - Rylee Morris
2nd Runner-up - Madelynn Hutchins
Grade Point Average
Winner - Katelyn Jackson
1st Runner-up - Rylee Morris
2nd Runner-up - Emma Locke
Community/School Participation
Winner - Katelyn Jackson
1st Runner-up - Rylee Morris
2nd Runner-up - Madison Kirby and Madelynn Hutchins
Interview
Winner - Madelynn Hutchins
1st Runner-up - Karley Broadway
2nd Runner-up - Rylee Morris
Stage Presence
Winner - Madelynn Hutchins
1st Runner-up - Rylee Morris
2nd Runner-up - Karley Broadway and Emma Locke
Grand Duke - Cale Hall, Kaden LaRock and Austin Craig
Related article - 2016 East Texas Poultry Festival Queen's Scholarship Pageant
