Each year at Tupelo High School, new members of the Homecoming Court are elected by their peers. These ladies are selected based on their involvement in academics, extracurricular activities, and their fellow classmates. A Homecoming queen is selected by THS’ senior class, and the result of their decision is announced during halftime of the Homecoming football game.

This year’s Homecoming Queen, Neely Brown, offered insight into the preparation being a Homecoming maid involves.

“It takes a lot of time to get ready,” she said. “The outfits have to be school appropriate, and it was hard to pick out dresses I actually liked.”

In addition to selecting her outfits for the Homecoming Parade, the Homecoming game and the Daily Journal advertisement, Brown had to choose a football escort, States Norman, and a “night of” escort, Carson Roberts.

A Homecoming maid her freshman and sophomore years, Brown was not new to the Homecoming arena. However, she never expected to be crowned Homecoming Queen Sept. 26.

“I was shocked and overwhelmed with joy,” Brown said. “I never thought that I would actually win it. It’s hard to describe how much of an honor it is. Winning Homecoming Queen taught me to have more confidence in myself and helped me realize I am good enough to excel in different things.”

Brown also stressed that Homecoming queens don’t have to fit the stereotype of being pretty.

“Homecoming is about picking girls who can represent your grade well, from academics to extracurricular activities to personality,” she said. “It helps to be pretty, but I think Homecoming is about someone who tries to be nice to everyone, is outgoing and has a great personality.”

Brown said that her experience of getting to know the maids in all classes was an eye-opening one.

“I love every one of the senior maids,” she said. “They’re beautiful, smart and kind. It was an honor to be picked from them.”

As for the younger girls, Brown described them as beautiful, inside and out.

“I can’t wait to see them on the court again,” she said.

Macy Replogle, a close friend of Brown’s, described THS’ newest Homecoming Queen as a model student of the THS Class of 2015.

“People should know Neely loves cats, has the personality of a cat, and is really nice, outgoing, and an overall great person,” Replogle said.

“Neely has it all figured out,” Norman added. “She’s super sassy and sometimes acts too much like a cat. She owns four.”

Replogle said that Brown’s personality made her deserving of the title of Homecoming Queen.

“Neely is nice to everyone, including those she doesn’t know,” she said. “As for winning Homecoming Queen, she has been very humble about it.”