The clouds were dark, but spirits were bright. Excitement filled the air in Paul Snow Stadium during the Homecoming pep rally held Thursday evening, Oct. 18, despite the threat of rain and the absence of the traditional bonfire.

For many, the most exciting part of the evening was the Homecoming Queen crowning ceremony.

Valencia Cantrell won the crown. Supporters stood and cheered feverishly when Cantrell's name was called.

"Honestly, when they called my name, I didn't even have time to be excited because everybody ran onto the field and tackled me. My immediate thought was, 'Oh my gosh, what's going on?" Cantrell said.

"Then after a second, after they rushed me and knocked me, tackled me, I was excited. I was so nervous and so excited. Then, it made me even happier that they were all excited. So, it was just like they had won something too. It was a big rush. It all happened so fast."

Some of those who rushed Cantrell were her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters.

Cantrell said that she likes being involved in AKA because of what they stand for.

"High scholastics, moral standards," she said. "We do a lot of community service work. I really love that. Helping, being able to go out and help others, I think is really important."

She said that the sorority helps her scholastically because members must maintain a high GPA to retain membership.

The friendships play a role as well. "All the girls are wonderful," Cantrell added.

Cantrell is serving her third year as cheerleading captain and is also a member of the orientation team.

"I love it. It's awesome," Cantrell said. "You learn the leadership skills. That's where I got mine. It really shows you a lot, like all the different characteristics (you need) to become a good leader."

Cantrell credits the support of her family for helping her to achieve success in life.

"My mom (Vanessa) is a very hard worker," Cantrell said. "I'm in school because I want to make my parents proud because they've done so much for me. They always have my back about everything. They're just always there."

Cantrell's friends have been another source of support. Terrell Montgomery, one of her best friends, showed his support by escorting her during the ceremony.

"He doesn't really like being in front of a lot of people, but he did it for me," Cantrell said. "So, that meant a lot."

When Cantrell is not devoting time to school and social activities, she is often working at one of her two jobs. She works in the baby department at the GAP in the Quintard Mall in Oxford.

"I wouldn't even call it work really, because all I do is play with kids all day and dress them," Cantrell said with a giggle.

Cantrell is also a personal trainer to some high school cheerleaders in Heflin, her home town. With all she does with work and school, Cantrell does not have a lot of free time, but when she does, she said she likes to hang out with her group of best friends called the "six pack."

"We probably either go shopping or have a girls' night," Cantrell said. "We (the six pack) all have different personalities. We complete each other. We are more like sisters."

She also enjoys time alone. "Sometimes I go workout and try to have some me time, but it's very seldom that I do have free time," Cantrell said.

In the future, Cantrell hopes to become a teacher. She is a junior majoring in secondary education in health. She said that Dr. William T. Hey, health professor, has been an important influence and that he has taught her a lot about making learning fun.

"I plan on teaching somewhere in Fulton County," Cantrell said. "I also want to be a cheerleading coach. I want to be able to be a positive role model."

For now, though, Cantrell is thrilled to be in the moment. "This is my first time actually winning something like this," Cantrell said. "I've been in lots of pageants, but I have always been runner-up."

This article was provided by: The Chanticleer
Written by: Anne Keefe