Growing up Boggy

As another Boggy Bayou Festival draws near, it is time for the reigning Miss Queen to ceremoniously pass her torch off to her successor. Doing the honor this year is the 20-year-old daughter of Quint and Roxane West of Pine Prairie. Lynee’ West is also the granddaughter of Irmus and the late Bill West and the late Betty Faye West of Pine Prairie and Ebby And Lorraine Perrodin of Ville Platte.
“I’ve learned this year that it’s not about me,” West said. “Through my little queens, I’ve learned that they are just as important to the festival and to our ‘brand’ as I am. Taking the extra time to include them and make them feel special made me feel so happy because I could see on their faces that they were truly having fun representing the festival we all love. I also learned how loving our board members are. Every single one went above and beyond to make sure I was okay and had what I needed. Whether it was encouraging words or cheering me on at Queen of Queens, they showed me just how big of a family the festival is.”
She added, “This year, I was able to travel the state with my fellow visiting queens, fiancé Phillip, and my sister Elizabeth West. I was also able to compete in the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festival Queen of Queens Pageant and welcomed Julia Williams as our new Queen of Queens.”
In her travels representing the Boggy Bayou Festival, West went to corners of the state near and far. She commented, “Nothing beat shoving countless cupcakes in my face with Shelbi (Rials, the previous Miss Queen), or screaming my lungs off with Regina (Pate, Rials’ mother) when Shelbi won Swine Festival. Some not so great things included breaking my phone in the parking lot during the Cotton Festival, but, luckily, Kasie and Shelbi got plenty of photos for my scrap book.”
While traveling the state, some of her best memories of attending other pageants were right here in her home parish of Evangeline. As she said, “Some of my favorite memories were at the Smoked Meat Pageant events when we convinced all of the younger queens to give their ducks to La Petite Miss Pine Prairie Queen Maddi Fontenot so she could win her first ever competition at a day event. I’ll never forget how happy she was when she received her little goody bag.”
“Also, I can’t forget spending the weekend with my sister Elizabeth at Queen of Queens,” she continued. “Although we, like many other sisters, struggle sharing a space and waking up in grouchy moods early in the morning, I enjoyed every minute of her cheering me on and helping me get dressed. Also, shout out to Elizabeth and Chelsey Johnson for taking me to Taco Bell after the Queen of Queens pageant.”
West, who plans to attend LSU New Orleans Medical School to become an Obstetrician and plans to marry Phillip Cavins of Turkey Creek in May 2018, previously held the title of Teen Miss Boggy Bayou in 2013.
“I spent that year traveling and learning how to be a good queen from my Miss Queen, Abbie Deville,” said West. “She taught me how to represent not only myself but also the festival in a way that our hometown would definitely be proud.”
By representing the Boggy Bayou Festival, West has learned what it takes to be a good festival queen. “To be a good queen you have to love your festival with everything you have,” she expressed. “The Boggy Bayou Festival has always meant so much to me, but it’s meant even more since I was able to dedicate my year to my grandpa, Bill West, who was a resident of the Prairie Manor Nursing Home and sadly passed away last year. Being able to represent the place he called home meant even more to me. To be a queen, you also have to be kind and mindful of all the people you come in contact with. You can’t forget that you represent something that’s bigger than yourself and that you are the face of that event.”
West, the 2015 graduate of Pine Prairie High School, makes it a point to visit the residents of Prairie Manor Nursing Home. When she is not visiting them or representing the festival, she is a part of the Alpha Epsilon Delta Biology Club, the fellowship of Christian Students club, and the Baptist Collegiate Missions Club at Louisiana College in Pineville. She also enjoys “playing music, singing, and hanging out with my cat Louise.”
Now that her reign draws to a close, West gave thanks to a litany of people who have helped her along the way this past year. The list began with her Heavenly Father and ended with her pageant director. “I’d like to thank God for keeping me safe and giving me this opportunity to represent such an amazing cause,” she stated. “Lastly, I’d like to thank my director Chasessica Basco for making sure my head was on straight, that no one hurt my feelings unless it was her keeping it real, and for making me her ginger unicorn queen. She has been so supportive of everything I did this year. No one else could put up with all my craziness as well as she did, and I am so happy to have had her by my side.”
Among the others West wished to thank were Deb Miss Boggy Bayou Jaedyn LaFleur, Little Miss Boggy Bayou Madison Harrington, Deb Miss Pine Prairie Mayzee LaFleur, Jr Miss Tournoi, Samara LaFleur, and La Petite Miss Pine Prairie Madilyn Fontenot, and their fearless leader Kasie LaFleur “for countless laughs, photos and encouraging me to be the queen I am today.” She also thanked her mom and dad for being so supportive during her year long reign.
To the girl who will succeed West in the journey of Miss Boggy Bayou Queen, West gives words of encouragement. “Don’t count out the little people,” she urged. “As a queen, all eyes are on you, and everyone is expecting great things. Don’t get overwhelmed but always include your younger festival royalty in everything you do. These girls are each so special in their own way and can teach you things you can’t imagine. Be the friend or big sister they need whenever they need it. Also, take every chance you get to travel. You will experience so much fun going to everything Louisiana has to offer.”