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Southeastern University Freshman Named Strawberry Festival Queen

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Kristen Elise Smith reacts as she finds out she is the new 2008 Florida Strawberry Festival queen.

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By DAVE NICHOLSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 2, 2008

PLANT CITY - A 19-year-old Southeastern University freshman was crowned Florida Strawberry Festival queen this evening.

Kristen Elise Smith said her win was a "blessing from God."
"It's more than I can ask for," said Smith, who was competing in the pageant for the second time.

Her twin sister, Lauren Danielle Smith, a freshman at Hillsborough Community College, was also in the pageant and was named Miss Congeniality.

The new queen, a 5-foot-7 brunette, is the daughter of John and June Smith. She is pursuing a degree in psychology with a minor in Spanish at the Lakeland university and would like to be a guidance counselor.

She smiled as the 2007 queen, Summer Pippin, placed the crown on her head following a more than three-hour pageant..

Other court members include First Maid Shaunie Leigh Surrency and court members Britney Balliet, Jaclyn Raulerson and Amanda Nicole Sparkman.

The queen and her court serve as ambassadors of the Florida Strawberry Festival, where they help present headline acts and preside over contests and ride in parades. They also represent Plant City at many events during the year.

This year's pageant was dedicated in the memory of the first festival queen, Charlotte Rosenberg, who died in October at age 93. Rosenberg was queen in 1930.

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