Northwestern State University’s annual Lady of the Bracelet pageant welcomed Jesse Foshee, a sophomore elementary education major, as the 67th Lady of the Bracelet. She won after competing in a variety of interviews, health and fitness, talent, runway and question competitions. Foshee is the newest addition to a long line of talented women who have represented NSU as both Lady of the Bracelet and as a competitor for Miss Louisiana.
Jesse Foshee’s community service initiative is called SimplyMe. It focuses on helping girls and women proudly show their authentic selves by teaching them to realize their value and uniqueness. She wants to ensure that young women everywhere learn to love themselves and love their lives.
Foshee’s community service initiative can be seen in abundance with those involved in the Lady of the Bracelet pageant, each person doing all they can to lift up the girls around them. Chloe Zeringue, a sophomore social work major, acted as the pageant coordinator and saw firsthand the impact that this dedication can have. “This was my first time seeing how much work the girls put in,” Zeringue said. “There was never a second when those girls weren’t helping each other. They were always there for each other and I loved seeing that.”
Foshee praised her fellow participants and their strength throughout the competition, putting her initiative into practice. “All of the girls that competed were so amazing. We’re all super close and I’m so proud of them,” Foshee said. “They were all bold enough to step out of their comfort zones and do that. It’s not easy, and they were all spectacular.”
Now that Foshee has been crowned Lady of the Bracelet, it is time for her to prepare to compete in Miss Louisiana in June 2025 while also working with UPC to enact her community service initiative here in Natchitoches. “This is so much more than a title for me—I’m representing an entire campus. It’s just amazing to see it all come to life and I’m so grateful,” Foshee said.
Foshee’s favorite part of winning the pageant was discovering her place in the legacy of Lady of the Bracelet. “It’s not just a bracelet—it’s the legacy behind it. Every time I put the bracelet on, I see a new name and get so excited. That’s what makes it so special,” Foshee said. “It’s not just about me. It’s about all the women that came before me. It’s not about the bracelet, but who wears it.”
As Foshee has grown into her title, she has had the chance to meet past winners of Lady of the Bracelet and claim her status among them. “There are a lot of legends that come from this campus after winning Lady of the Bracelet and I’ve gotten to know some of them personally. It’s a bit intimidating, but it’s really amazing that I get to be such a big part of this legacy,” Foshee said.
Lady of the Bracelet is not only a pageant, but also a scholarship opportunity and a great chance to try something new. In order to compete, prospective contestants must raise a certain amount of money for the American Heart Association. Contestants do not need to have prior pageant experience, nor large amounts of money for outfits. The pageant is a wonderful opportunity for girls to make a difference in their communities.
Valerie Hallot, a sophomore nursing major and UPC’s lagniappe manager, helped the girls prepare for the pageant and loved being able to work alongside them. Hallot’s favorite part of the competition was connecting with the girls on a personal level. “It gave me a glimpse into their reasoning behind wanting to compete in the pageant and the significance of their community service initiatives,” Hallot said.
Though Lady of the Bracelet is a pageant, the event is much more than just a beauty competition. Contestants compete for the chance to further their initiatives and to make Natchitoches a better place. They strive to do good for those around them and hope that the negative stereotypes regarding pageants can be reduced through their dedication and hard work. “I think there’s a lot of stereotypes about pageant girls, but this pageant was so sweet,” Zeringue said. “I felt such an overwhelming sense of girlhood watching them because they were all so kind and good to each other.”
Lady of the Bracelet is often seen as one of NSU’s most notable annual traditions, changing the life of one girl each year and giving her a platform on which to change the lives of others. Jesse Foshee now joins 66 women who have received this honor in the past, becoming the newest in a long line of selfless women striving to use their status for good.
