Natchez &8212; Excitement grows for the 15 high school seniors and juniors who will take part in an upcoming debutante cotillion.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority members in the Zeta Delta Omega Chapter are sponsoring &8220;An Enchanted Evening with Cultured Pearls&8221; at 7 p.m. Saturday at City Auditorium.

The cotillion follows weeks of preparation, during which time the sorority provided speakers who gave the debs information at seminars about education, leadership, social etiquette, family, health, personal finance and community service &8212; advice they can take into adulthood, sorority members said.

&8220;It&8217;s a lot of hard work, but it is a great reward to us to see the girls grow the way they have,&8221; said Brenda Jarvis, past president of the chapter. &8220;This is a part of our community service, and that&8217;s what our sorority does.&8221;

Aimee Crosby, a senior, said she has always wanted to be a debutante. &8220;It has been exciting,&8221; she said. She loves the dress she chose and said it makes her feel pretty.

Carita Winn, a junior, said she likes the whole experience of dressing up for the cotillion. &8220;It&8217;s a formal affair, and it&8217;s traditional. I like that,&8221; she said.

Rehearsals have included learning the waltz, said Carol Merritt, a sorority member who is co-chairwoman of the cotillion.

&8220;They had to practice waltzing with their fathers and practice walking with their teenage escorts, who also were excited about it,&8221; Merritt said.

For Kristin Latham, a junior, one of the most thrilling moments to date has been waltzing with her father. &8220;I&8217;ve never danced with my dad before,&8221; she said. &8220;It&8217;s been a time to bond with our parents.&8221;

Jarvis said the activities leading up to the cotillion are not to prepare the girls for competition but, rather, &8220;for their introduction into society.&8221;

Winn said the debs have learned &8220;etiquette and other important things that we will know for the rest of our lives.&8221;

Through this community service project that culminates with &8220;An Enchanted Evening with Cultured Pearls,&8221; a cotillion honoring 15 debutantes, Zeta Delta Omega continues to encourage the preparation of students both academically and socially to enable them to meet the challenges of life with great courage and success.

The 2005 debutantes to be presented are Ciera Berry, Carmen Capri Campbell, Aimee Bianca Crosby, Chyra Floyd, Amber LaDawn Frazier, Chelsea Danielle Harris, Anjerica Breonne Hayes, Ciara Linye&8217; Jackson, Kristen Lorraine Latham, Brianna C. Leonard, Andrea Michelle Martin, Brandy NiKita Martin, Jazmine Alece Owens, Jasmine Thomas, and Carita I. Winn.

Miss Ciera Berry, 17, is the daughter of James and Lovia Berry of Roxie. She is a senior honor roll student at Natchez High School, where she is also a member of the NHS Drill Team and is &8220;Miss Senior.&8221;

Berry is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club and attends Pilgrim Baptist Church in Natchez.

She plans to pursue a degree in primary education from Jackson State University after graduation.

Miss Carmen Capri Campbell, 16, is the daughter of Clement and Lynn Bynum Campbell of Natchez. She is a junior at Natchez High School and a varsity cheerleader. Campbell is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club and a member of the Greater St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Natchez. Upon graduation, she plans to attend Louisiana State University or University of Southern Mississippi and major in either pre-med or speech pathology.

Miss Aimee Bianca Crosby, 17, is the daughter of Gary and Nancy Crosby of Natchez. She is a senior at Natchez High School, where she is a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, Key Club, and is the co-captain of the NHS Drill Team. Crosby is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club.

She attends Pilgrim Baptist Church in Natchez and is a member of the Praise Team. After graduation, she will attend Southern University in Baton Rouge and major in accounting.

Miss Amber LaDawn Frazier, 17, is the daughter of Ricky and Edith Frazier of Clayton. She is a senior at Ferriday High School in Ferriday, La., and a varsity cheerleader. She is also a member of the Beta Club, Future Business Leaders of America and 4-H Club. Frazier is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club and attends Zion Hill Baptist Church in Ferriday. She plans to study speech pathology at Louisiana State University.

Miss Chyra Floyd, 16, is the daughter of Cassandra Floyd Griffin of Natchez and Darryl Jamal Dade. She is a junior honor roll student at Natchez High School, where she is a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club and Student Council. She is a member of the Rosette&8217;s club.

Floyd attends Pilgrim Baptist Church in Natchez and is a member of the choir. After graduating, she plans to attend the University of California in Los Angeles and become a pediatrician.

Miss Chelsea Danielle Harris, 16, is the daughter of Roslyn Harris and Reginald Green of Natchez. She is a junior at Natchez High School and a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council, and the NHS Echoes newspaper staff. Harris is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club and attends Zion Chapel AME Church in Natchez, where she also serves as a prayer breakfast hostess. Upon graduating, she hopes to study at Louisiana State University and become an obstetrician.

Miss Anjerica Breonne Haynes, 16, is the daughter of Loran Y. Haynes-Scott. She is a junior at Ferriday High School, where she is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, Beta Club, Key Club and 4-H Club. She is a clarinet co-section leader for the FHS Band. Haynes is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club and attends Zion Baptist Church in Foules, La., where she is also a member of the choir. She plans to attend Southern University in Baton Rouge to major in health science.

Miss Ciara Linye&8217; Jackson, 18, is the daughter of Bernadine and Dwight Cameron and Willie and Carol Jackson of Natchez. She is a senior honor roll student at Natchez High School and a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club and Frontline. Jackson attends New Bethel Baptist Church in Natchez and serves as an usher. She is also a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club. After graduation, she will attend Tugaloo College in Jackson and pursue a career in corporate law.

Miss Kristin Lorraine Latham, 17, is the daughter of John and Lenora Thompson of Natchez. She is a junior honor roll student at Natchez High School, where she is also a member of the Beta Club, NHS Band and Drill Team. Latham is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club. She attends Zion Watch Baptist Church in Natchez, where she is a musician and a member of the choir. She plans to study physical therapy or pre-med at Louisiana State University after she graduates.

Miss Briana C. Leonard, 16, is the daughter of Penny L. McKinney and Zeke McKinney of Ferriday. She is a junior honor roll student at Ferriday High. She is also a member of the Beta Club, Future Business Leaders of America, Key Club, 4-H Club, Library Club and FHS Book Club. For two years, she served as the saxophone section leader for the FHS Band.

She is also a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club. Leonard attends St. James Baptist Church in Frogmore, La., where she also participates in the choir.

She plans to attend Louisiana State University and Our Lady of The Lake Nursing School to become a registered nurse.

Miss Andrea Michelle Martin, 17, is the daughter Lee Andrew and Juanita Martin of Ferriday. She is a senior honor roll student at Ferriday High, a varsity cheerleader and a member of the Key Club. She is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club and attends St. Mark Baptist Church in Ferriday, where she is a member of the choir and a musician. After graduating from high school, Martin will attend Northwestern University and major in music.

Miss Brandy NiKita Martin, 17, is the daughter of Patricia Ann Martin and Don P. Burns Jr. of Ferriday. She is a senior honor student at Ferriday High where she is a member of the Beta Club and Future Business Leaders of America. She also records the football stats for the FHS football team. Martin is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club and is a member of St. James Baptist Church in Ferriday. After graduation, she plans to pursue a degree in pharmacy from Texas Southern University.

Miss Jazmine Alece Owens, 16, is the daughter of and Brenda Owens and Ricky L. Owens of Natchez. She is a junior at Natchez High School and a member of both the Student Council and the NHS Echoes newspaper staff. Owens is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club and attends the Greater St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Natchez. After graduation, she hopes to study pre-med or nursing at the University of Southern Mississippi or Louisiana State University.

Miss Jasmine Thomas, 16, is the daughter of Willie and Virginia Thomas of Natchez.

She is a junior, honor student at Natchez High where she is a member of the Student Council, Beta Club, NHS Band and Drill Team. Thomas is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club and attends Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Natchez where she participates in Sunday school and the youth choir. She is undecided as to which university she will attend after graduation, but plans to earn a degree in biology or pre-med.

Miss Carita I. Winn, 16, is the daughter of Michael and Rita Winn of Natchez. She is a junior, honor student at Natchez High where she is also a member of the Beta Club and a drum major for the NHS Band. She is a member of the Rosette&8217;s Club, Mayor&8217;s Youth Council and the N.A.A.C.P. She is a registered pharmacy technician for the state of Mississippi. Winn attends King Solomon Baptist Church in Natchez and serves as the Sunday school secretary and sings with the Sunburst choir.

Upon graduating from high school, she plans to study at Alcorn State University or Xavier University and pursue a career as a hospital administrator or an obstetrician.