NATCHEZ — Natchez High School’s Homecoming queen waved to a crowd of thousands Monday inside a much bigger stadium than Tom F. Williams Memorial.

NHS senior Daysha Brown joined hundreds of other homecoming queens from across the country at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Monday to participate in festivities for the Auto Zone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn.

Brown and the other queens were escorted on the field by U.S. Air Force airmen before the game and danced along to the music of The Temptations at halftime.

“It was overwhelming,” Brown said. “It was such a big stadium. Looking around at the big screen and all the cameras, I couldn’t help but smile and be happy to be there.”

Brown rode on a float with the other queens in the Beale Street Parade Sunday.

“It was really amazing, I had a lot of fun,” she said.

The queens also toured St. Jude Hospital and visited patients.

“That was a really great experience,” Brown said.

Brown was selected to attend the Liberty Bowl through America’s Homecoming Queens National Pageant Registry. According to her invitation, her selection was based on her academic achievements and community activities.

Brown plays the flute in the Natchez High band, and she is also president of National Honor Society and a member of student council.

Brown will compete in the statewide homecoming queens pageant later this year, with hopes to go on to the national pageant in Washington, D.C.

The pageant will be Brown’s first, but she said she may participate in others.

“It’s a definite possibility now,” she said.

Brown plans to attend the University of Louisiana at Monroe next year and study political science.

“I eventually want to go to law school, I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer,” she said.

Brown is the daughter of David Brown and Sandra McMorris.