On Friday, October 4, 2024, the 69th annual homecoming queen was revealed during the homecoming football game. Eighteen girls from Davie County High’s senior class of 2025 were nominated by their class to represent the school. Then, in the week leading up to the game, the school voted for the court and homecoming queen. They were announced to the school during the Homecoming pep rally. This year’s nominees were Erika Arellano, Claire Burris, Avery Carter, Autumn Fendley, Haven Fryar, Lauren Hampton, Sydney Hampton, Julia Hines, Berkeley Hoge, Kaylee Lewis, Sadie Link, Maegan Purvis, Sarah Rajacich, Brady Sheek, Jaden Sink, Quinn Smeeton, Aubrey Speckin, and Rylie Yount.
At the beginning of the game, the girls rode around the track in classic cars. When halftime rolled around, the girls took the field, each being announced individually with their escort of choice. Each girl had the bio they provided read while they walked through cheer and the dancing boots, including their involvement at Davie, gratitude for their loved ones, and plans. Kaylee Lewis was fourth runner up, Riley Yount was third runner up, Maegan Purvis was second runner up, Aubrey Speckin was first runner up, and Avery Carter was crowned Davie High’s 69th Homecoming Queen.
Avery Carter: Homecoming Queen
Avery Carter is a member of the varsity cheer team, national honors society, Chick-fil-A Leadership Academy, student ambassador, and a student leader for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Davie Young Life. She wants to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte after graduation to study business and communications. She loves working with people and is interested in the business world. When Carter learned she got on the court, she was overwhelmed with gratitude. To her, winning this title showed that she had been a positive light in many people’s lives. Sharing Jesus through her actions is incredibly important for her in everyday life and not just through her club leadership.
“To me, it meant that I was seen and impacting others around me. Knowing that I was a positive person in their life or even just a friend was a very heartwarming feeling.” Carter shares. Sharing the court with her amazing classmates was truly a highlight, as she believes they are all girls who deserve to win. To her, all glory goes to God because the kindness she has been able to share in others’ lives has been Him working through her.
“I did not expect to win at all! It was a total and utter surprise to me when they announced my name. All of the girls who were nominated are amazing and beautiful people; I didn’t believe I stood a chance!”
Aubrey Spekin: First Runner-Up
Aubrey Spekin is a member of the National Honor Society. When she was nominated for something that she knew would be incredibly special to her, her dad could come into town to escort her on the field. Her whole family was there to support her, taking pictures to preserve the memory, and the flowers that she received were an added bonus. Speckin’s plan after graduation is to attend UNCC or Appalachian State to receive a nursing degree. Her final career goal is to become a nurse practitioner. While on the field for halftime, she was surprised she wasn’t nervous but excited to be a part of the experience. When her name was called as first runner-up, shock replaced the excitement because she never believed she would be that close to being queen.
“I am thankful for the opportunity I got to spend with the girls. I feel like it brought us closer, and we all had a good time together.”
Maegan Purvis: Second Runner-Up
Maegan Purvis is a member of the track team and the dance department. She is also a part-time youth leader at her church, and this is a huge part of her life. Dance and Track are truly her second love after Jesus. After high school, she wants to attend UNC Charlotte. She wants to be a NICU nurse, as this has always been a path she has felt led down. While she loved getting to ride through the stadium in cars and finding outfit inspiration on Pinterest, her favorite part was seeing how amazing the other girls were. It was truly an honor for Purvis to be associated with them. Being nominated meant so much because she shared how she truly has strived to be a friend to anyone she crosses paths with, and the votes that led her here made her feel like she succeeded in that goal.
“It’s such an honor to be nominated and voted onto homecoming court. It’s so amazing that my fellow seniors and schoolmates chose me to represent their school. I couldn’t thank them enough.”
Rylie Yount: Third Runner-Up
Rylie Yount is an active musician, which shows in many of her activities. She attends many concerts and wants to pursue a career in music after attending Davidson-Davie Community College. Her goal is to be a concert photographer, which will allow her to continue pursuing a life filled with music. The whole thing truly set in when she lined up on the field, walking with her older sister—Avery Yount, a Davie High graduate—who escorted her. Taking inspiration from many previous homecoming court nominees, she finally decided on a purple silk dress that she felt embodied her personality. To Rylie, the dress code showed a lot about Davie. While most schools tend to lean towards prom-style dresses, Davie leans more toward business attire. She believes this shows what Davie looks for in a nominee. The moment that sticks out to her is the moment when her name was called as third runner-up, saying her mom caught a video and “her jaw dropped to the ground.”
“My favorite part is the actual game night, and I like getting to ride around the car and getting all dressed up,” Yount said. “It was a little anxiety-inducing, a little stressful, just because it was very strategic with, like, walking across the field and lining up on certain spots. But it was just so, so cool.”
Kaylee Lewis: Fourth Runner-Up
Kaylee Lewis is a member of NHS, Mock Trial, Environmental Debate, and Musical Theater. She wants to attend a four-year university after graduating to major in Political Science on the pre-law track. Getting nominated on the Homecoming Court was a childhood dream that came true. She expressed how she grew up watching the Homecoming game and the previous queens. It also was a huge compliment to her because she strives to be as kind to everyone as possible, so to learn her classmates view her that way is rewarding. Kaylee had the rare opportunity to share being nominated with her best friend, Sadie Link; this led to them being able to share these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
“My favorite part of the experience was walking out at the pep rally with Sadie and bonding with such beautiful and kind girls who were also on the homecoming court,” Lewis shared about the experience.
