Ladies and Gentleman, welcome back to The Buzz: Blog and our Alumnae Spotlights! Today we are exploring the journey of our Princess Annie. Annie served as the Stadium Princess in 2002 under President Nella Hawks. Their theme “Reasons to Smile” reflects that spring is a happy time filled with sunshine, and the daffodils are finally blooming. A season that brings pretty girls in yellow dresses, and hundreds of people along the parade routs with big smiles on their faces. Annie has stayed connected with the Daffodil Festival and currently is the Daffodil Coordinator at her role as a school counselor at Washington High School. She is a proud mother of two, and many Daffodil Princess. She is fulfilled by being a part of the Big Yellow Family.
Q: What was your journey with the Daffodil Festival? Can you share your favorite story from your reign with us?
A: “My journey with the Festival started like any fairy tale. I was born and raised in Tacoma (Dash Point to be exact!) and grew up going to the Tacoma parade every year, rain or shine! We usually got a spot on the parade route right at 11th & Pacific, as it was just down the hill from where we’d park at my dad’s work.
Being from NE Tacoma, I went to high school at Stadium (just like my 4 much older siblings!) and got the notice in fall of 12th grade that I was academically eligible to try out for Daffodil. We had an incredibly strong candidate pool my year – I was one of 8 (!) ladies on selection night and any one of us would have made a great representative for Stadium. I don’t remember my exact impromptu question but my off-the-cuff answer that referenced being the “oops” child of my parents definitely garnered lots of laughter and probably had something to do with being named princess!
The 2002 festival had so many serendipitous dates that mean something to me and my family. Our Princess Promenade happened to be ON my 18th birthday…yes, I got crowned an OFFICIAL princess for my birthday, much to the chagrin of my parents, now I had the tiara and golden daffodil to prove it! The parade fell on my nephew’s 5th birthday and it was SO fun to see him at the end of the afternoon at the Orting parade.
My favorite memory though is when we all got to go see the float as it was being finished up and decorated down at the “Float Barn” at Fife Sand & Gravel. We each had the chance to stand in each of the three locations on the float and that’s the night we got to hear the float music for the first time and made up our “float dance”! Now, if I hear certain songs, my mind immediately goes back to being in parades!”
Q: What does the Daffodil Festival mean to you?
A: “For me, it means community and celebrating young, capable women.”
Q: What is your favorite thing you’ve done since being a Daffodil Princess?
A: “Probably being a strong public speaker! The 2002 festival year, all of our appearances were FULL court and before Coronation we had to be ready to speak and represent the Festival at any given event. Now I can speak in public confidently and with minimal nerves.”
Q: What lessons have you learned through the Festival that has helped you?
A: “The Festival has truly had a lasting impact on me! We learned how to talk to start conversations (even if uncomfortable!), how to interact with others – little kiddos all the way to elderly, etiquette of a formal dining situation, showing gratitude (thank you notes!), public speaking, and networking. The year I spent as a princess truly has helped me gain skills that have helped me in my life.”
Q: What is your vocation and what job(s) do you do outside of the Festival?
A: “Professionally, I am a school counselor at Washington High School in the Franklin Pierce School District (Go Pats!). Being a school counselor is not only my job but truly my vocation. It’s funny – when I was a Princess, when we did our introductions at appearances. I would always say I wanted to study psychology, but ended up majoring in Business with a minor in Computer Science. It took me almost 10 years to find my way back to my passion and get my master’s degree to be a school counselor. At WHS, I have a very unique role as a school counselor – I am the Grad Coach – so I worked with students in Running Start as well as students who are off-track for high school graduation, where my role is to work with them and families to find a high school option that is best for them.
My other “full-time” job is being a partner to my husband Kevin and mom to my two kiddos, Parker (8) and Mallory (almost 5).”
Q: If you could give advice to someone wanting to become a princess what would you say?
“I’m lucky enough to have Sienna (Talbert) Wedde WHS 2012, Kallie (Sherwood) Armstrong ERHS 2016 and La’Ghea Jackson (former coordinator at Chief Leschi) help out with coordination. The advice we give girls who are interested is two-fold:
1. Daffodil is an amazing opportunity that can have a lasting impact on your life.
2. The opportunity comes with a big commitment and you have to be ready for that. Once you are a princess, your priorities are: school, Daffodil, everything else. But it’s so incredibly worth it.
Oh, and, you don’t know if you don’t try! We always encourage girls to try out.”
Q: What has kept you wanting to stay involved and volunteering as the Daffodil Coordinator?
A: “I love the Festival and what it stands for. It’s SO fun to see the diverse group of girls every fall who decide to try out for this opportunity. As a coordinator, I am so incredibly proud of EVERY candidate who has stood on the stage during fall selection. Pretty much every year, our princess comes to see me near graduation and tells me, “Mrs. Plutko, you were right – this has been a life changing and amazing adventure.” or you know, something to that effect! Makes my heart so happy to still be a part of the Big Yellow Family. “
