Bryce Couch
The Miss Southlake Scholarship Organization released a statement on December 9 stating Bryton Bonacquisti, Miss Southlake 2020, resigned from her position. Bryton was crowned Miss Southlake in August 2019, and a typical year of service would normally run from the local competition date through the next year's local competition. But due to COVID-19, this year’s Miss Southlake and Miss Southlake Outstanding Teen were given two choices after the August 2020 event was postponed.
“Each local representative had the option to extend their year of service or to conclude their year and pursue other opportunities,” Miss Southlake executive director DaNae Couch Lowe says.
The Miss Southlake Scholarship Organization has not yet decided if it will have a new young woman step into the Miss Southlake role or wait until they can hold the Miss Southlake 2021 event to have a new leader in that position. While the Miss Southlake 2021 event does not have a current date, DaNae says the organization hopes to hold an in-person event next August.
In the meantime, Miss Southlake Outstanding Teen Laurel Jones will still represent the organization through virtual and small, socially distant events. Throughout the summer, both Miss Southlake and Miss Southlake Outstanding Teen held princess parties with other title holders to entertain local children and showcase their talents.
“We wanted to maximize our voices,” DaNae says.
With a platform centered on bringing awareness to mental health concerns like suicidal thoughts, anxiety and self-harm, Laurel has been and will continue to host virtual events where she shares the warning signs of depression and how peers can help their friends they may believe need it. And as a senior, Laurel has helped her peers who may have unmet expectations of their high school experiences. DaNae says she’s been able to help her peers refocus and help them find new academic and personal goals.
“It’s been, I think, a benefit for Laurel to be able to speak to something that she’s passionate about,” DaNae says. “To have the opportunity to see her leadership evolve has been really special.”
Learn more about Laurel’s platform here, or find out more about the Miss Southlake Scholarship Organization on its website.