Generations of Plant Citians have grown up watching one lucky girl don the coveted crown each January and become the next Florida Strawberry Festival Queen.
The role is designated for someone who embodies everything Plant City and the highly lauded Florida Strawberry Festival is all about. The judges seek a candidate who has a deep passion for Plant City, is poised and able to flawlessly care herself through any conversation or task.
This year, they struck gold in Meghan White, a senior at Durant High School who has shared Plant City’s community-centered mindset her entire life.
“I hope when this year is over that people remember me as a kind person,” White said. “There’s always going to be mean people in the world…This world could use some kindness and I think it would be really cool to be remembered by that.”
Her roots with the festival go back practically to birth. She was a contestant in the Baby Parade, and as she grew older she got involved showing swine in the livestock shows. However, it wasn’t until her freshman and sophomore year of high school that she began thinking about entering the Strawberry Queen pageant.
“I had an ag teacher who really planted that seed and told me that I really needed to think about going out for the pageant,” White said. “I remember as a little girl looking up to the Strawberry Queen and thinking, ‘Oh that will never be me,’ but then I started thinking about it and I began to think maybe I could do this. I was inspired by his words. Then last year I went out for it and fell in love with the process and the program and seeing all that Kendall (Gaudens) accomplished, it inspired me further to go out for it this year.”
And when she returned, it was with the confidence and grace that launched her to the top of the group.
Many of the contestants seek coaching prior to the pageant from community members who are either former queen and court members or have a great depth of pageant knowledge. Both years, she decided to give it her all and sought out the guidance of a coach throughout the process.
White said she wasn’t one of those girls who grew up doing pageants, so there was a learning curve her first year as she immersed herself in the ins and outs of the competition. She quickly learned she was an over-thinker and said she took every critique to heart, then worked tirelessly to correct them.
This year, she took a more laid-back approach to the journey and while she said she learned a lot, her nerves were not at the forefront and she felt much more relaxed this time around.
Her selfless and warm-hearted nature caused the other contestants to vote her as Miss Congeniality, an honor she said “meant the world” to her. Though she and her court have only been together for a handful of days, they’re already well on their way to developing a deep and supportive bond.
White said her main goal as Queen is to make sure that everyone she comes across walks away a little happier than they were before their paths crossed.
“I want to make sure that people feel empowered and loved,” White said. “I’m not sure that it’s necessarily about what you do, but rather how you feel and make others feel. I think Plant City has such a community oriented and family oriented environment. I am lucky to say that I have a loving family and a loving home and it’s pushed me to be the very best person I can be. I’m very good at finding the positive in situations and have learned to stay true to myself and my faith. And to just love every single person unconditionally no matter what.”
Her sentiment was echoed by every single member of her court and all took long moments to discuss the hope and love they aim to instill in every one of their interactions with the public.
And the girls know their stuff. They all have memories of growing up in Plant City and each have their own favorite places to show off to their friends.
White is the daughter of Stacy and Barbie White and had a plethora of local memories to choose from when she began discussing her favorite part of Plant City.
She shared her personal attachment to the Veterans Memorial Monument Park, her memories sitting on the strawberry throne at Parkesdale and the thrill of shopping for unique finds at the Mercantile. Through it all, however, she kept coming back to the intricate community she had the privilege of being raised in.
Though the festival is always the major event the new Queen and Court attend, there are festivities year round the group will throw their support behind. White said she’s most looking forward to helping out with Night to Shine, the ministry event that offers a “prom night experience for people with special needs.”
“I’m just so excited about what’s ahead,” White said. “I know there’s going to be so many wonderful experiences and I’m really hoping we are able to serve and help our community in our own unique way. Not a lot of things make me sad, but one thing that always makes me upset is seeing someone else sad. Naturally, I want to put a smile on everyone’ face. I want to make sure that girls and young men feel really empowered, feel really loved and feel that they can go and rule the world if they wanted to.”
What made you want to go out for the pageant?
M- I have always, since high school, been encouraged to do it by teachers, peers, families, friends and the community. Emma (Miller) and I had the honor of going out last year and we just loved the environment so much. We felt like we grew so much as people and as girls, as representatives for the community, so we really wanted to go out again this year to further that.
What was your first thought when your name was called?
M- I was honestly just so shocked. I was very honored because you know, in reality, any of the 23 girls could have gotten it. They were all amazing, and it was just so humbling to hear my name called. It was a very surreal moment for me.
What was your
family’s reaction?
M- My dad told me the whole pageant that he was more nervous than I was, and I’m sure that held true right up to when they called my name. I’m sure he was so overjoyed and excited. We all knew that this would be such an awesome experience for not only me, but the other girls and the community. I think they were just proud to that I get to be a part of this and give back.
Do you have a piece of advice for someone going out next year?
M- Be yourself, fully yourself. It’s all subjective, they tell us that from the beginning. It could have been a different panel of judges and a different set of girls. As long as you stay true to who you are, your morals and who you really are and just be super confident and embrace who you are not only in the interview, but on stage and everywhere you go, then you’ll be doing all that you can.
If you could pick one word to sum up your personality, what would it be?
M- “Random.” I’m just a very random — well people call me bubbly — person. It’s hard for me to talk about myself, but people have always told me that I’m kind of bubbly and really crazy sometimes. I love dancing, I’ll just start dancing in school in front of everyone. The cafeteria, class, at my table, I’ll just dance. I think all of my gestures and sometimes the words that come out of my mouth can be kind of random, but it’s fun.
What is your favorite place to spend an afternoon in Plant City?
M- I personally like the Veterans Memorial Monument Park. I was actually there when it opened up when I was really little. My grandfather was buried in Arlington and it’s really cool to see that the military community has an impact in Plant City, too. It’s relaxing there, a great place to walk around and sit and relax in the evening. It kind of connects me to D.C. even though I can’t be there a lot.
Do you have a secret talent?
M- Denim and I both play instruments. I play the trumpet.
What are you most excited for at the festival?
M- Just to meet everyone. I think it will be really cool to meet everyone and serve everyone and be able to not only smile, but to spread laughter and joy.
What band are you most looking forward to?
M- Tommy James and the Shondells. It’s my grandma’s favorite band and her favorite song is ‘Crimson and Clover.’ I remember whenever I was little, we would always jam out to that song in her car. She would play it on repeat. I ended up really loving that song and we still sing it together to this day.
What festival food are you most excited to eat?
M- Strawberry shortcake, hands down.