PLYMOUTH, Ohio–Plymouth High School’s Homecoming Queen Jessica Henderson was selected as a finalist for Ohio’s 35th Annual Homecoming Queen Selection, which will be held at the Dayton Marriott on April 12. She won the school’s homecoming title in the fall and then applied for the competition.
Henderson will participate in the preliminary judging and finalists will be selected to compete for their respective state’s title. According to competition guidelines, to qualify participants must be a high school homecoming queen and have never participated in America’s Homecoming Queen selection before. In that way each queen participates only once.
In addition to reigning as Plymouth’s homecoming queen, Henderson has a considerable number of achievements to her credit. She is a four-year member of Plymouth’s student council and vice-president of the National Honor Society.
“She’s also vice president of her class and a captain on the volleyball and track teams. She went to regionals last year and we’re hoping to take it one more step. She also has the female lead in the school play,” said Math Teacher and Student Council Advisor Janelle Grube.
The school play, “The Baker Street Irregulars,” was held this weekend.
“It’s like these 12 kids are helping to solve a mystery for Sherlock Holmes. It’s pretty interesting, so it will be fun. I’m the main character; my name is Elsa. Let’s just say there’s a really big plot twist at the end that I am involved in,” said Henderson.
“It’s actually the first mystery we’ve done all four years because I’ve done the play all four years and we always do comedies but this will be fun to do,” she said, noting that it’s also has comedic parts in it but she thinks of it as more of a mystery.
Plymouth’s student council performs a service project every year and Henderson has been an active participant.
“We worked on the cemetery out here in Plymouth,” said Grube, “at the older one by the railroad tracks. We cleaned the tombstones and actually realigned the rows. We didn’t move them, but we documented who was buried where and we helped put together a map that is displayed out there. Pioneer students were working on it with us and they came out and surveyed the land.”
The National Honor Society also performs service projects.
“Actually we’re running a 5K in May, Run for Hunger, and we’re going to collect food products and donate them to the food pantry in Shiloh,” said Henderson.
Henderson has been involved in the school projects and feels they all have meaning for her.
“But last year for NHS we did a 5K to raise awareness for autism and we have a student Jason here who has autism and it was really nice to do something for him. A couple years ago, I think, we helped raise money for him as well for some treatment through student council. It’s been really nice to help them out because his mom just is so grateful, and it’s been so nice to help them out because it (autism) is so close to us. It’s really nice to do something like that,” she said.
Her accomplishments extend beyond student organizations, Grube noted, “She’s carrying coursework for college credit and she takes all the hardest classes she can here.”
Henderson also volunteers in Richland County.
“I volunteer a lot in the summer. I have volunteered at MedCentral in the out-patient surgery area, and I did that for a couple of years. My mom works at Richland Newhope and last summer I helped in the therapy department,” stated Henderson.
Volunteering at MedCentral was a career-related choice. “I’m going to study nursing at Ashland so it got me in to see a little bit of the hospital,” said Henderson, “I want to be a nurse anesthisis. The therapy was more just for me. My mom has worked at Richland Newhope for a while and it was good for me to be a little more involved at her school.”
She is the daughter of Jennifer English of Plymouth and Isaac Henderson of Columbus. As the oldest of four children, Henderson said she has a younger brother and two younger sisters. Does she feel a pressure to set an example for them?
“Yeah, I really do,” she said. “But I kind of like it, too, because when I go down to Columbus and see my little sisters, it’s nice because I only see them like every other week, but when I go down there, it’s my time. I cherish the time I actually do get to spend with them. And I do feel like I have to set an example for them but it’s not difficult.”
If selected as a state finalist, Henderson will compete in personal interviews and prom gown competition only. There is no swimsuit or talent competition because the competition seeks an all-American girl who wants a career. The state winner who competes in the national finals will be presented with a scholarship.
“I’ve never done pageants before, so this is all new to me. I’m super excited and honored that they would even accept me to go,” said Henderson.
