“I got into Top 12, which was like crazy, even that was a really big deal and I’m super proud. Honestly, if I don’t get Queen it’s not going to be the worst thing. I feel like at this point I kind of feel like I’ve beaten the popularity contest and I’ve proven that kids who aren’t necessarily popular and still make an impact in this school and still be apart of the dynamic. I’m honestly really proud of all the Top 5. I feel like there’s a really big variety of kids. I mean there’s two drama girls in the Top 5 girls and seeing that I was like man, it’s not about popularity. It’s not about cheerleaders or the football players. It’s about who’s kind and who’s involved and who shows up and takes the initiative to be involved in a lot of other things around campus. That’s not to say that cheerleaders are not nice, I know plenty and plenty of nice cheerleaders who are loving. It’s the people who choose to make friends with people that not everybody would choose. Those are the people that go on and really make an impact.” – Senior, Claire Waage