Seniors Lauren Morris received the Ortho Plummer Scholarship and Lacey Truncale received First Lady in Waiting and Miss Congeniality while participating in the Neches River Festival on April 28-29.

Many students may be wondering what Neches is exactly and what is it’s importance seeing as this was the big event to reschedule prom.

“Neches is a city wide festival honoring the well rounded senior girls of Beaumont, representing various organizations throughout the community,” Morris said.

Truncale who also participated in the festival says it is a promotion of Beaumont’s youth.

“The Neches river festival is a Beaumont tradition to recognize its greatest natural resources, the niches river, and to celebrate Beaumont’s youth,” Truncale said.

Although many awards and titles were given Morris had the honor of receiving the Otho Plummer scholarship worth $900.

“I had to fill out an application and compete against 15 other girls in an interview,” Morris said.

She said that winning the Otho Plummer Scholarship was one of her most proudest moments.

“I was very shocked and surprised when I won because everyone told me it was rigged and that I probably wouldn’t get anything,” Morris said.

Morris was sponsored by the Garth House board of directors and plans to use her scholarship toward tuition and books at Lamar University her freshmen year.

“The best part of participating in the Neches river festival was getting to know more people and getting closer to my classmates,” she said.

Truncale also received two awards during her participation in Neches.

“I was voted Miss Congeniality by my peers and I won First Lady in Waiting, which is first place from the Queen,” Truncale said.

After all the princesses were interviewed by a panel of judge a week earlier before corination they then voted on Queen, First, Second, and Third lady in waiting.

“When I won I was very excited because it was such an honor and I felt proud to be representing Beaumont,” Truncale said. “I think all the girls were great princesses and deserve to be honored.”

Truncale represented her sponsor the Beaumont Symphony Past Presidents during the competition.

“I never though of Neches as a competition during interview, I knew to focus on my answers and to just be myself,” Truncale said. “I just kept a positive attitude and had fun the entire time. Fun is what it’s all about!”

Truncale says all the Neches events were beautiful and she enjoyed herself.

“I enjoyed spending time with my friends from West Brook and Kelly,” she said.

“I also enjoyed seeing some of my friends from camp who were duchesses, and meeting other girls.” Truncale said.