A farming and endocrinology passion

Representing a festival in Louisiana, such as the Louisiana Cotton Festival, gives a young woman the chance to experience new things while also learning something about herself.
This was no different for outgoing Queen Cotton Abigail Fruge of Sulphur.
“I’ve rediscovered my passion for family farmers this year,” Fruge said. “My family has agricultural roots in Evangeline Parish, from growing soybeans, rice, farming crawfish, and even cotton before the soil bank. I love how I am able to represent a livelihood that supported my family and continues to support others across the state.”
Fruge is the 19-year-old daughter of Rodney and Donna Fruge of Sulphur and the granddaughter of Rodney and Euta Fruge of Basile.
She is currently a sophomore at McNeese State University in Lake Charles where she is pursuing a major in biology and a minor in psychology. Her future plans are to “graduate from Medical school in order to become a pediatric endocrinologist, and eventually open my own foundation to help assist in funding and education for families who suffer with childhood diabetes.”
When she is not cracking the books or representing the Cotton Festival, Fruge is “involved with the Pre-Med Society, Kappa Lambda Service Fraternity, and the current Vice President of the McNeese Honors College. I also enjoy cooking, collecting vinyl records, and playing guitar in my church’s Life Teen band.”
Fruge is no stranger to the pageant circuit as she has worn other crowns before, but, as she explained, “Queen Cotton has surpassed them all. I have an amazing community, board, and festival that have supported me throughout the year like I’ve never experienced before. This has been the best title of my life.”
She continued, “Being Queen Cotton has allowed me numerous opportunities to travel our great state, and even attend the Washington DC Mardi Gras Ball. No matter where I went this year, I was able to share my knowledge of cotton and the amazing, hardworking farmers I represent. It was a true blessing!”
The Mardi Gras Ball provided Fruge with her most memorable moment of her reign. “The most memorable moment from this year was sharing the Washington DC Mardi Gras events with my King Cotton, Kyle Ardoin. It was amazing being able to spend the most royal weekend with my King.”
She added other memorable moments. As she said, “I had so much fun this year traveling with my sister queens, especially at the Evangeline Parish events. Spending those festivals with my fellow Evangeline queens has been absolutely amazing! My other favorite events include the Plaquemines Parish Orange Festival, the Tomato Festival, the La. Fur and Wildlife Festival, and the Sicilian Heritage Festival. I even tried my first oyster at the Amite Oyster Festival. It was an amazing year!”
While experiencing all memorable moments, Fruge never lost sight of what it takes to be good pageant queen. She commented, “It definitely takes love for what you represent. Without that drive, your year as a queen will never be as fulfilling as it could be. When you find the right title, your love and appreciation for what you represent will continue to grow. I am blessed to have found a community, commodity, and festival that I love, and my love has only grown this year.”
Now that the time draws near to hang up her pageant slippers as Queen Cotton, Fruge shared a few words for whomever wears the crown after her.
“Never take any moment for granted, and treasure your year. Take every moment to educate others about cotton and our state’s hardworking farmers, and know that you are a role model for every little girl you encounter,” Fruge said. “Travel as much as possible, and remember that even when you are getting up right after dawn, a farmer has been awake for hours already. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy every event you attend and every person you meet. You only get one amazing year as the Cotton Queen, make the most of it!”
Before the point of giving up her title on Saturday, October 12, Fruge wished to thank those for making her reign special. As she concluded, “I want to thank my parents for always supporting me in anything I do, and for encouraging me to live out this dream. Thank you to my Aunt Marsha and Uncle Randy for supporting me and teaching me about how cotton has affected our family in Evangeline Parish. Thank you to my amazing director and festival board for making this year possible and for always hosting an amazing event each year. I also would like to thank our cotton farmers for giving us a reason to celebrate each year. Their hard work and dedication are what makes this title so wonderful!”