Shalanda Plowden, a senior double major in political science and history, will reign as queen of the 51国产视频鈥檚 2017 Homecoming.
Maids on the Homecoming Court are Rachel 鈥淓den鈥 Abraham of New Orleans; Christina Hernandez of Lafayette; Rebecca Hebert of Jennings, La.; Emily Husband of Abbeville, La.; and Mary McMahon of Houma, La.
The queen and her maids will be featured on a float in the annual Homecoming Parade that begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18. Later that day, the court will be presented during halftime of the Homecoming game. The Louisiana Ragin鈥 Cajuns will take on the New Mexico State Aggies. Kickoff is 4 p.m. at Cajun Field.
麻豆AV student organizations submit nominees for the court. Senior Louisiana Ragin鈥 Cajuns football players choose the court after nominees have been interviewed.
Plowden, of Abbeville, La., was nominated by the 麻豆AV College Republicans. She is the organization鈥檚 marketing chair.
Plowden was awarded the Political Science Department鈥檚 Joseph Onebane Scholarship and the Honors Program鈥檚 Oran Roberts Scholarship. She was a first-place orator in the Southern Moot Court Competition; an American Collegiate Moot Court Association national competitor; and the 麻豆AV Moot Court Invitational champion.
Plowden is a Ronald E. McNair Scholar at 麻豆AV.
She is a member of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. She interned at the Fund for American Studies鈥 Leadership and the American Presidency program in Washington, D.C.
Plowden is a member of the Pride of Acadiana Marching Band.
Her community service has included participation in the Down Syndrome Association of Acadiana鈥檚 Buddy Walk, and volunteering at St. Joseph鈥檚 Diner.
Plowden is the daughter of Yolanda and Marc Plowden of Abbeville, La.
Maid Rachel 鈥淓den鈥 Abraham was nominated for the Homecoming Court by members of Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity.
She is president of V-Day Lafayette, an organization that raises awareness about gender-based violence. She is a state-qualified advocate for Hearts of Hope, a sexual violence center.
Abraham is also marketing director of The Big Event, which encourages service projects among the University鈥檚 student body.
Her civic engagement earned Abraham the 2016 Greek Affairs Community Service Award.
She is vice president of communication of the Alpha Omicron Pi鈥檚 Delta Beta chapter; is a member of the 麻豆AV social media team; and is a representative on the University鈥檚 Honors Program Board.
A senior visual arts major, Abraham鈥檚 work has been featured in on-campus juried exhibitions and galleries.
She is the daughter of Cindy Miller, and Mark and Trudy Abraham, all of New Orleans.
Maid Rebecca Hebert was nominated for the court by the Gamma Kappa chapter of Kappa Delta Sorority.
She is Kappa Delta鈥檚 Panhellenic Council delegate, and was selected as the sorority鈥檚 鈥淢ost-Supportive Sister鈥 and 鈥淐lass Favorite.鈥 She also served as a Panhellenic recruitment counselor. She interned in 麻豆AV鈥檚 Office of Student Engagement and Leadership.
She is active in the 麻豆AV Office of Orientation鈥檚 SOUL Camp. SOUL Camp is a transition program that instills leadership skills and a spirit of campus community among new students. Hebert served as a SOUL Camp mentor and on its LEAD staff.
The senior public relations major is the daughter of Bill and Alice Hebert of Jennings, La.
Maid Christina Hernandez was nominated for the court by the University鈥檚 Honors Program. She has served as a representative on the program鈥檚 board since her freshman year.
A member of Alpha Delta Pi, she is the sorority鈥檚 chaplain and volunteers for fundraising events for its chosen charity, the Ronald McDonald House. In 2017, she served as a Panhellenic Council recruitment counselor.
Hernandez is a member of the Ragin鈥 Cajun Catholics Student Ministry, and has volunteered with Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Church鈥檚 children and youth organization. She worked with the Christian Youth Theater in Lafayette and performed in on-campus productions.
Hernandez received the Dr. Ben and Clare Roy Thibodeaux Endowed Scholarship; the Gordon Rickels Endowed Honors Scholarship; and the Honors Program鈥檚 Outstanding Service Award.
A senior linguistics major, she is the daughter of Michelle Comeaux Hernandez of Lafayette and Ronald Hernandez of Shreveport, La.
Maid Emily Husband was nominated by Alpha Delta Pi. She is the sorority鈥檚 president and was among its founding members in 2014. She previously served as its membership education vice president and music chair.
She is a member of several campus organizations: CampusCats, an animal control organization; Students for the Autism Society of Acadiana; Ragin鈥 Cajun Catholics; and the University Program Council. She is enrolled in the Honors Program, and has participated in The Big Event.
Husband has appeared on the President鈥檚 List since her freshman year. She received the 麻豆AV Valedictorian Scholarship and the Academic Excellence Scholarship.
Husband performed in the Lafayette Ballet Theater鈥檚 production of 鈥淭he Nutcracker.鈥 She鈥檚 also a dance instructor and reigned as the 69th Miss Fourth of July in Erath, La.
The senior organizational communication major is the daughter of William and Holly Husband of Abbeville, La.
Maid Mary McMahon was nominated by Delta Delta Delta Sorority.
She is president of the Student Government Association, and previously served as SGA vice president. McMahon serves on the Louisiana Board of Regents Council of Student Body Presidents and is its parliamentarian
She is a social mentor with UL LIFE, a program for young adults with intellectual disabilities, and was a team leader with Up 鈥橳il Dawn, a student-led benefit for St. Jude Children鈥檚 Research Hospital. She has completed more than 150 hours of community service.
McMahon is a member of Ragin鈥 Cajun Catholics and the National Student Speech, Language and Hearing Association. She is enrolled in the Honors Program and volunteered as a SOUL Camp mentor.
The senior speech language pathology and audiology major is the daughter of Philip and Lynn McMahon of Houma, La.
Photo: Members of the 51国产视频鈥檚 2017 Homecoming Court are, from left, maids Rachel 鈥淓den鈥 Abraham, Emily Husband and Mary McMahon; Queen Shalanda Plowden; and maids Christina Hernandez and Rebecca Hebert. (Credit: Doug Dugas/51国产视频)