A New Miss Huntingdon Is Crowned

Photo caption: From left, contestants Shannon McCarty, Meagan Edgar, Brittany Johnson, Crowd Favorite Olivia Bailey, 2nd Runner-up Brianne Pueschell, Miss Huntingdon Erin Cembrale, 1st Runner-up PresLee Pittman, Sidney Gilley, Miss Philanthropic LG Wilson, and Miss Congeniality Natalie Harris.

Montgomery, Ala.—Ten Huntingdon College women competed for the Miss Huntingdon title during the annual Miss Huntingdon Pageant, Saturday, April 8. Contestants received scores for interviews with judges prior to the pageant as well as self expression and introduction, talent, poise, platform, and on-stage questions during the pageant. At the conclusion of the competition, the following awards were given:

Erin Cembrale, a junior biology major originally from Oyster Bay, New York, was crowned Miss Huntingdon 2022. Ms. Cembrale is a member of the women’s soccer team, who sponsored her for the pageant, as well as serving as a Huntingdon Ambassador, an Orientation Team leader, a Student Recruiter, and a member of the Student Government Association, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Collegiate Exchange Club, and Pre-Health Club. She has been selected as a member of the USA Deaf National Women’s Soccer Team and will compete in the Deaflympics in Brazil in May. Ms. Cembrale’s platform was the Mill Neck Foundation, an organization that empowers and embraces deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Upon graduation, she plans to attend nursing school.

First Runner-up honors were given to PresLee Pittman, a sophomore elementary education major from Billingsley, Alabama. Ms. Pittman is a member of Chi Omega women’s fraternity and the Hawks Cheer Squad, which sponsored her for the event.

Brianne Pueschell, a sophomore history and religion double-major from Bartow, Florida, was named Second Runner-up. Ms. Pueschell is a member of the Presidential Fellows Politics, Culture, and Civic Engagement Team and Chi Omega women’s fraternity; a newly elected justice on the Huntingdon Judicial Board; and president of College Republicans, which sponsored her for the pageant.

Contestants named Natalie Harris, a sophomore from Phenix City, Alabama, majoring in elementary education with collaborative special education, as Miss Congeniality. Ms. Harris was a Freshman Leadership Initiative member and serves as a peer mentor on the Orientation Leadership Team and as a Student Recruiter. She is a member of the Hawks Cheer Squad and Phi Mu women’s fraternity. She was sponsored by Phi Mu.

Lauren Grace (LG) Wilson, a sophomore cell biology major from Lake City, Florida, earned the title of Miss Philanthropic by raising the most money during the Miss Huntingdon philanthropy drive prior to the pageant. Collectively, the contestants raised more than $1,400, which Ms. Wilson will donate to the Backstoppers, an  organization that provides financial assistance to support the families of publicly funded paramedics and EMTs who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Sponsored for the pageant by the Huntingdon Panhellenic Council, Ms. Wilson is a member of Chi Omega women’s fraternity, a Student Recruiter, an Orientation Leader, and a member of the indoor and beach volleyball teams.

Olivia Bailey, a freshman biology major from Florence, Alabama, won the designation of Crowd Favorite. She was sponsored for the pageant by her sisters in Alpha Omicron Pi women’s fraternity. She is a member of the Freshman Leadership Initiative and Circle K and serves as a Presidential Fellow on the Sports Medicine Team.

Also competing in the pageant were:

Shannon McCarty, a junior business administration major from Boulder, Colorado, was sponsored by the Ability First Resource Center. She is a member of the Hawks Cheer Squad, Phi Mu women’s fraternity, College Republicans, and a senator for the Student Government Association.

Meagan Edgar, a junior from Fort Deposit, Alabama, majoring in both applied mathematics and religion, was sponsored by the Presidential Fellows, for which she serves on the Academic Mentoring Team. Ms. Edgar serves as the president of Alpha Omicron Pi women’s fraternity, as a Student Recruiter, and has been named a Huntingdon Ambassador for the 2022–2023 academic year.

Brittany Johnson, a junior criminal justice major and African American studies minor from Selma, Alabama, was sponsored by the Black Student Union, for which she serves as vice president. Ms. Johnson is a member of the indoor volleyball team, the Race and Justice Initiative, Circle K, and the Business Club.

Sidney Gilley, a junior English major from Enterprise, Alabama, was sponsored by the Collegiate Exchange Club. She is a member of Chi Omega women’s fraternity and Circle K, a Presidential Fellow serving on the Ability First Team, vice president for administration on the Panhellenic Council, and an editor for the Prelude literary magazine.

Miss Huntingdon 2021 Jordan Hollis crowned Ms. Cembrale. Ms. Hollis is a junior elementary education major from Dothan, Alabama. Her platform has been the Hidden Opponent, for which she conducted a field day fundraising event earlier in April. She also served as a co-director for the pageant with Mackenzie Cherry, a senior from Prattville, Alabama.

The Miss Huntingdon Pageant is an annual event held by the Huntingdon College Office of Student Development and the Campus Activities Board. Scholarships are awarded in the amounts of $1,000 for Miss Huntingdon; $600 for the first runner-up and $400 for the second runner-up. The pageant is open to Huntingdon women students who are freshmen, sophomores, or juniors. The goal of the pageant is to identify  a positive ambassador for Huntingdon College who exemplifies faith, wisdom, and service in her student experience, in keeping with the College motto, “Enter to grow in wisdom; go forth to apply wisdom in service.”

This year’s judges were Marcia Johnson, business programs director for USDA Rural Development; Kellie Rhyne, nurse manager of infusion systems for the Montgomery Cancer Center and a member of the production team for the Alabama Distinguished Young Woman Scholarship Program; and LaConya Warwick, an educator in science and robotics for Elmore County Public Schools.

Serving as masters of ceremonies for the pageant were Jasmine Paynter, the 2021 First Runner-up, a senior double majoring in political science and communication studies from Pensacola, Florida, who will enter law school in the fall; and Gaines Jordan, a senior physical education major from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who will intern with the University of South Alabama football program following graduation.

Huntingdon College is a coeducational residential liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church offering more than thirty undergraduate programs of study and 21 NCAA-Division III athletic teams. Huntingdon recently added a Master of Athletic Training program, the College’s first graduate program since its founding in 1854.

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