The smell of pancakes being cooked wafted through the Drill Field on a Monday morning. These reminders of childhood were thanks to Abigail Henderson, Mississippi State University’s 2024 Homecoming Queen.
Henderson started her homecoming campaign by cooking and handing out pancakes on the Drill Field. She said she associated pancakes with home and family and wanted to showcase that “home is where the heart is.” This closely relates to Henderson’s campaign slogan, “Hearts for Henderson.”
Henderson, a senior educational psychology major with a focus in speech pathology, was born and raised in Tupelo, Miss. Her family spent much of their time in Starkville watching MSU sports. Henderson said that MSU is home to her family.
“I have been a diehard Mississippi State fan for my entire life,” Henderson said. “Growing up, going to the football games and baseball, my grandfather just really fueled my love.”
Henderson, a third-generation bulldog, is not the first of her family to serve as Homecoming Queen. Henderson’s aunt, Katie Humphreys, was MSU’s 1997 Homecoming Queen. Humphreys said their family has been tailgating in the same spot for football games for Henderson’s entire life.
“When she was a little girl, she would just find a spot to lay down,” Humphreys said, “and she could even sleep in the stadium with all the cowbells ringing.”
Henderson has served MSU students as a Roadrunner, Orientation Leader, College of Education ambassador, Delta Gamma sorority vice president, Panhellenic delegate and captain of the MSU Baseball Diamond Girls.
Henderson expressed that she never imagined becoming Homecoming Queen. Although she was never on the homecoming court in high school, she fondly remembers the MSU Homecoming games as some of her favorite childhood memories. She recalls meeting members of the Homecoming Court when she was a little girl.
“I was always like, ‘That would be so awesome if I got the chance,'” Henderson said, “but I was kind of a realist and thought that the chances of that are so slim.”
Henderson said one of the largest factors that helped her run for Homecoming Queen was getting over her fear of rejection and realizing that rejection had never stopped her before. She said getting involved on campus in her sophomore year allowed her to be more confident.
Taylor Boyt, a senior marketing major from Madison, Miss., is one of Henderson’s closest friends and roommates. She helped Henderson with her campaigning. She said that one of Henderson’s traits that makes her an ideal Homecoming Queen is her kindness, which has shown immensely during her campaign.
“She always has a smile on her face,” Boyt said. “Her kindness just really and truly radiates into everything she does.”
Boyt said one of her most recent favorite memories of Henderson was waking up early to find that Henderson had made pancakes from scratch for her roommates to try before she tried making them on the Drill Field.
“Abigail had so much intentionality,” Boyt said. “She wanted to make sure she had the best pancakes to serve us and the Mississippi State students.”
Henderson said that her love of MSU is anchored in the people. During her campaign, she spent hours daily on the Drill Field talking to students. She said that every person she has spoken to throughout her time at MSU has encouraged her to be a better person.
“Coming into MSU, I was a different person,” Henderson said. “I’ve met my very best friends here, and I’ve made my favorite memories with them. They definitely make every day easier.”
