FMU Student Life and the Ms. FMU Scholarship Pageant Committee crowned Ms. FMU 2021 from 6:30–8:30 p.m. on March 12 at the Chapman Auditorium. Hubert Setzler, associate professor of management, presided as the Master of Ceremonies.

There were seven contestants this year: junior psychology major Lindsey Roof, freshman  performing arts major Princesslori Biglow, sophomore secondary education major Savannah Lewter, sophomore pre-nursing major Alexis Hough, junior psychology major Katelyn Coker,   sophomore industrial engineering major Laney Rodgers and sophomore pre-nursing major Jamia Bracy.

They competed in four different categories in front of a panel of five judges.

The night opened with a speech from Lauren Stanton, executive director of the FMU Education Foundation and former Ms. FMU.

“I owe much of my professional success to my year as Ms. FMU,” Stanton said. “Competing in Ms. FMU and winning the title was a time of tremendous personal growth for me.”

Maquitta Butler, Ms. FMU 2020, also spoke about her platform and how she served as Ms. FMU during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also briefly discussed her decision to join the Air Force National Guard. She gave her farewell address as Ms. FMU 2020 before crowning Ms. FMU 2021.

Between competitions, Butler gave a piece of advice for her predecessor.

“Take every single moment and treasure it,” Butler said. “If I had known that my last event would be my last event, I would have stayed a little longer. I would have taken more pictures. Just take every moment, and don’t take it for granted.”

The first competition of the night was the On-Stage Question, in which contestants drew a random question from a bowl and answered it impromptu. They were also asked one personal question that related to their platform.

This contest tested their interpersonal skills and gave the contestants an opportunity to discuss their platform.

The Casual Wear portion allowed the judges to assess their stage presence, self-confidence and pride in their appearance.

During the Talent section, the contestants showed off their skills, stage presence and level of preparation. Biglow performed a monologue from the movie “He’s Just Not That Into You.” Roof, Coker and Bracy displayed their dancing abilities through lyrical, tap and jazz respectively. Hough sang “For Your Glory” by Tasha Cobbs while Rodgers sung and played “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” by Elvis Presely on the ukelele. Lewter also sang, choosing “She Used to Be Mine” from “Waitress” as her piece.

The Evening Gown portion allowed the ladies to give more information about themselves and their platform as well as display their personality, stage-presence and self confidence. FMU Homecoming King Malachi Dawson assisted the contestants as they stepped onto the stage.

At the end of the night, Roof was crowned Ms. FMU 2021 and received a $1,000 scholarship. Coker won first runner-up and was given a $500 scholarship. She also won the Community Service Award for her essay on community service. Bracy received a $250 scholarship for second runner-up and also won the People’s Choice Award. Hough won the Miss Congeniality Award for her support of the other contestants and sportsmanship.

Roof will spend the year as an FMU ambassador and serve as a role model for FMU and the Florence community.