Carly K. - Class of 2021 Senior Pictures

There’s a stereotype of the homecoming queen so many of us are familiar with.  Snobby, a little vapid, one of the mean girls that think’s she’s above everyone else and everything.  I never could understand why the movies made a big deal out of being the homecoming queen when the homecoming queen wasn’t even anyone I’d want to be or be friends with.

Until now.

This girl takes that stereotype and turns inside out and kicks it to the curb.  Meet Carly, the newly crowned 2020 Southeast High School Homecoming queen, and one gem of a girl.

Carly is fun, funny, laid-back and down-to-earth.  She has a great sense of humor.  She isn’t afraid to set goals and go for them, but also has this really cool ability to know what’s truly important in life and doesn’t sweat the small stuff.  Carly doesn’t let the roadblocks life throws at her from holding her back.  Knee braces and shoulder braces and tape to keep her body together hasn’t deterred her from playing the sports she loves and enjoying the journey.

She keeps her friends grounded with that same humor and compassion.  I think everyone needs a friend like Carly in high school to help them navigate those crazy hard years.

How calm and unflappable is this girl?  Her dog once wandered off during a dog show, headed into the kitchen, stole a hot dog and came back to the show with said hot dog dangling in its mouth.  Carly just kept right on showing.  The best part of all?  When she tells the story now, it is with an air of begrudging admiration for the naughty dog.  You can’t hear her tell the story and not just absolutely crack up.

Something tells me Carly knows a thing or two about being ornery giving her brother and friends just the right amount of grief.

Those are the qualities I’d love to see Hollywood emphasize in movies about teenagers.  Kindness.  Determination.  Teamwork.  Confidence.  Intelligence.  Amazing young women like Carly here are where it’s at, and who we should hold up as role models for other young girls to emulate.  That’s royalty indeed.