Representing her hometown, Kathryn Shea Duncan of Crowley was crowned the 81st International Rice Festival Queen on Saturday morning.
Kathryn Shea, the 80th Miss Crowley, is the 21-year-old daughter of Kathy Duncan of Crowley and the late Shea Duncan and was sponsored by the Crowley Professional Women’s Club.
She was crowned by 80th International Rice Festival Queen AnnaLisa Mariah Meredith and presented flowers by this year’s festival honoree, Dr. Rustum Ernest Girouard Jr.
Kathryn Shea currently attends the University of Louisiana at Lafayette majoring in marketing with plans to graduate in May of 2018. She is employed as a marketing assistant with Lafayette Habitat for Humanity and has previously served as UL Habitat for Humanity’s president and fundraising chairperson. She is a member of the Bayou Krewe, a photographer for the International Rice Festival Cookbook, attended Louisiana Youth Seminar and is currently co-authoring a children’s book.
She has been the recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, the Louisiana Volunteer Service Award and has been nominated for Outstanding Junior at ULL. Kathryn Shea has also been honored to receive the Florence Mauboules Charitable Scholarship, the Fanny Edith Winn Scholarship and the Rotary Club Scholarship. She is a volunteer with the Healing House and once visited Costa Rica on a mission trip.
In her spare time she enjoys photography, attending Louisiana fairs and festivals, reading self-help books, public speaking, promoting Louisiana tourism and volunteering. Her plans after graduation are to pursue her MBA at UL Lafayette next fall.
Selected as first runner-up was Caroline Elizabeth Hardy, daughter of Kevin and Sharla Hardy of Welsh, who was representing the Jeff Davis Parish Fair and was presented flowers by 81st IRF President Suzy Webb.
Second runner-up was Allison Taylor Vaughn, the daughter of James and Renee Vaughn of Paragould, Arkansas, who was sponsored by the Arkansas Rice Festival. She was presented flowers by this year’s Farmer of the Year, Kent Brown.
Vaughn also was selected as Miss Congeniality and presented flowers by Junior Farmer of the Year Michael Zaunbrecher.
A $500 scholarship based on academic performance was awarded to Sydney Marie Kay Richardelle, who was sponsored by the Louisiana Cattle Festival.
Seventy-sixth IRF Queen Sarah Mouton and Deborah Nutt Whiting served as emcees for the pageant, and the International Rice Festival Dance Troupe, the “Ricettes,” performed a variety dance numbers to entertain the crowd.
As the 81st International Rice Festival Queen, Kathryn Shea will travel the state of Louisiana attending fairs and festivals promoting the festival and industry. She will also be presented with cash scholarships and will represent the International Rice Festival at the Washington, D.C., Mardi Gras Ball and the Rice Millers Association Convention being held in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, in 2018.
Also participating in the pageant were Sarah Dorothy Boudreaux, who was sponsored by Coastal Timbers, and Blair Elizabeth Bergeron, who was sponsored by the City of Rayne.
