Senior Gabriela Manuela was recently selected by the America’s Homecoming Queen organization to represent California at the Liberty Bowl, an annual college football game. Manuela is currently entered in a competition to be named California’s Homecoming Queen, and if she wins, she will be entered in a nationwide competition to become America’s Homecoming Queen.

“The possibility of becoming California’s Homecoming Queen and the possibility of becoming America’s Homecoming Queen mean a lot to me,” Manuela said. “It will give me a platform to go out into my community and help out as much as I can.”

The America’s Homecoming Queen organization also selected two or three girls from each state to travel to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, on Dec. 29.

“What I love the most about [the competition] is that it is not based on beauty at all,” Manuela said. “It is focused on giving scholarships to young women who want a career and want to help change the world.”

The accomplishment came after an already momentous victory for Manuela at Redwood, where she was selected to be the first black Homecoming Queen in the school’s history.

“Knowing that I made history was a very amazing experience for me,” she said.

Manuela and the other queens took part in the Beale Street Liberty Bowl Parade, as well as the pre-show and halftime performances at the football game.

Manuela said that she and the other Homecoming Queens were escorted by gentlemen in the armed forces in the pre-show performance. In the halftime performance, the girls had the opportunity to perform a dance routine alongside cheerleaders, marching bands, and famous country music duo “Big & Rich”.

When Manuela wasn’t busy at the Liberty Bowl, she got the opportunity to go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a renowned pediatric treatment and research facility, and learn about their medical system.

“We got to learn how St. Jude’s works and how the families can go there and not pay anything,” Manuela said.

When Manuela returned, she began organizing talks at Redwood and Neil Cummins Elementary School to help spread awareness and raise money for St. Jude’s.

“I found this passion for that place and I hope to go back there later in life and help out those kids as much as I can,” Manuela said.

If Manuela wins the title of America’s Homecoming Queen, which is to be determined sometime in late March, she will receive scholarship money for college.

Voting for America’s Homecoming Queen is open to the public and costs $1 per vote. All money from votes goes toward the scholarship fund.