Q. What is it about Plant City that you cherish?
A. I just love being in the atmosphere of Plant City. You feel welcome. I really love being here.
Q. When you saw past
contestants make it to the Top 5, did you think that could be you?
A. I never thought that I would be in this position. I never thought that could personally be me. But going to high school really helped me with that. Once the preparation started and the encouragement, it really inspired me that I could be in this position.
Q. What are great hang-out spots in Plant City?
A. One of my personal favorites is the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center. It has been remodeled and since then, a lot of the kids from downtown Plant City, they come to that area to play recreational sports and they have Zumba classes there. I actually had the honor of practicing volleyball there for my volleyball team. It’s really a nice gym. My second favorite is Starbucks, mainly because I work there.
Q. What was your favorite
segment from the queen pageant?
A. I loved the opening number just because I’m a dancer and I love performing in front of people. As soon as the opening number was called, I was like ‘Yes, I’m down, I’m ready.’
Q. What were you thinking when your name was called out in the Top 5?
A. I’m a strong believer of if it’s meant to happen, then it will happen. When they called Top 5, my number was one of the last ones called. Normally I am a confident person, but at that moment, I had no confidence at all.
Q. How did the support system from your loved ones motivate you?
A. My family is very supportive. I remember my very best friend and she is one of my biggest supporters.
Q. If you could incorporate anything into Plant City, what would it be?
A. A skating rink. I think it would change Plant City a lot. If we could have our own skating rink versus having to go to another city, I think it would really bring the youth together.