As October 18th nears, homecoming is becoming a hot topic amongst the student body and community. Every year ten ladies are selected by their peers as members of the Lenoir City High School Homecoming Court. The 2024 Homecoming Court will include Emma Adair, Tori Bean, Mercy Catota, Kyra Grason, Naomi Lambdin, Ava Lawhorn, Mackenna Lawson, Sawyer Simmons, Lyndsee Tolliver, and Devin Williams. While each of these ladies exhibits their shining individuality, they all display natural kindness and eagerness to participate within the school and community.
The annual announcement for the homecoming court is highly anticipated. Being a part of homecoming includes many fun opportunities like appearances in local and school events, participating in pep rally competitions, and being recognized during the homecoming football game. Each of our homecoming girls describes what this nomination means to them.
Emma Adair, known for participating in HOSA, Panther Crew, NHS, and soccer describes her excitement for this chance.
“Oh my gosh, it’s so special that I’m a part of it. I’m really thankful to everyone who voted for me because you know, only 10 girls get to experience it, so I’m just really excited,” Adair said.
Tori Bean, known for her involvement in softball, cheerleading, Panther Crew, NHS, FCA, Young Life, and Singers is thrilled to have another opportunity to represent the school.
“I’m grateful for it, but also I’m just super excited because it’s just another opportunity to show what the school is and everything we do. It’s just a really fun opportunity,” Bean said.
Mercy Catota, known for participating in NHS, Panther Crew, Young Environmentalists Club, Interact Club, and as photography director of Journalism explains how she plans to embrace this nomination.
“[Being nominated for homecoming,] means a lot because I am the only Hispanic girl on the court, so it’s kind of important to me to represent the Hispanic community,” Catota said.
Kyra Grason, known for her involvement in Tennis, Student Council, NHS, Panther Crew, Anchor Club, FCA, Young Environmentalist Club, Interact Club, and as Yearbook Editor describes her excited reaction to hearing the announcement.
“It actually means a lot to me. I remember when I found out I started jumping for joy. It means that I get to be recognized as someone in the school, and I get to go in front of all my peers and have a fun voting process with the rest of my friends,” Grason said.
Naomi Lambdin, known for her contributions to Singers, Journalism, Musical Theater, NHS, Panther Crew, FCA, and volleyball explains how this nomination is a testament to her personal growth.
“A goal I’ve had over the course of my four years in high school has been to put myself out there and be out of my comfort zone. Even though it might be nerve-racking sometimes, it’s really nice to get to meet new people and find those different environments. So it’s just really cool to see the progress, and how many people I really know at the school,” Lambdin said.
Ava Lawhorn, known for her involvement in Panther Crew and as the newspaper editor in Journalism describes the gratitude she has for being selected by her peers.
“I feel very special that out of the entire senior girls that, you know, only 10 were picked, and I was one of them. Also, [I feel] super thankful that I get to be on the court with some of my best friends. So, yeah, it feels great,” Lawhorn said.
Mackenna Lawson, known for participating in Panther Crew, NHS, and the women’s basketball team believes that experiencing homecoming will be an unforgettable part of her senior year.
“I am very grateful to be selected to represent on homecoming. Being nominated by my peers and friends, means a lot and it’ll definitely be a memorable part of my senior year,” Lawson said.
Sawyer Simmons, known for her contributions to NHS, Panther Crew, FCA, Singers, a member of track/cross-country, and within her church hopes to use this opportunity as an outlet to continue making a positive impact.
“It means to me, the reassurance that I am being looked up to and a great friend to others. As much as I’ve tried to be an impact, it shows off in things like this when I can see that I’ve impacted others and how they see people in their day-to-day lives and how they treat other people,” Simmons said.
Lyndsee Tolliver, known for her participation in the choir program, NHS, Panther Crew, and at a local dance company believes that her kindness was a big factor in her nomination.
“I was really shocked that I was on homecoming court, so I’m just excited to feel more involved in the school. I felt like more known than I knew I was, and it makes me feel like being kind pays off,” Tolliver said.
Devin Williams, known for her dedication to the women’s basketball team and Panther Crew describes her excitement for this nomination.
“It means a lot. I’m happy to represent the school, and I’m happy that people nominated me,” Williams said.
There will be plenty of opportunities in the upcoming homecoming events to get to know these lovely ladies to determine who has won your heart and your vote!
