When Madison McDaniel is crowned as homecoming queen at Columbia Academy Friday night, she’ll continue a family tradition.
Madison’s mother, Sandra, shared the same honor at the same school nearly three decades ago.
“I was crowned on Oct. 13, 1989 – 28 years to the day,” Sandra McDaniel said. “Both of us had homecoming on Friday the 13th, but that’s not the only coincidence. Her escort and mine were both named Drew. Her escort is Drew Price and mine was Drew Middleton.”
For some, Friday the 13th is bad luck, but not for the McDaniels.
“People think about it being unlucky,” Sandra said. “But it was really a good day.”
Sandra is excited that her daughter gets to share the same experience.
“I was so very proud … and she is honored,” she said. “I told her to use her platform to be a good role model.”
Madison said sharing the distinction with her mother is special.
“It’s neat,” she said. “To our knowledge, there has never been another mother-daughter combination here.”
Mother and daughter will also share more than the title as Madison participates in the CA Homecoming Parade Friday afternoon in downtown Columbia.
“My mother had saved an arch from my float and it will be on the back of hers,” Sandra said
“It’s an honor to have a piece of her float on mine,” Madison added.
For Madison, the desire to be homecoming queen was always there.
“She always had her homecoming dresses around and I liked to play with them as a girl,” she said. “I like looking at all of her old photos. The sleeves on her dress are so puffy, and mine doesn’t even have sleeves. The floats are a completely different design now, too.”
Columbia Academy’s Homecoming Parade steps off at 1:30 p.m. Friday from the old Orleans Furniture parking lot on Mississippi 13 North. Ceremonies will take place before the 7 p.m. kickoff of the football game against Wayne Academy at James E. Pope Field on Friday night.
Pictured Above: Madison McDaniel, the 2017 Columbia Academy homecoming queen, poses with her mom, Sandra, who carried the same honor at the school in 1989. Madison will be crowned Friday night. | Photo by Mark Rogers
