Meet the new Apple Blossom Queen Gabby Waterman

For most little girls, the dream of wearing a tiara and traveling as royalty fades away with age, but for Wenatchee High School Senior Gabby Waterman, the dream of doing just that is no longer a dream, but a reality.

“I’ve always wanted to represent the community in some way,” said Waterman in an interview with The Apple Leaf on Feb. 19. “I thought it would be a fun experience (to participate in Apple Blossom Royalty), and a great way to meet people and get involved. I’m really excited to meet all the new people that I’m going to get to meet, like the Applarians, and all the little kids. Everyone is just so excited to meet us and I’m excited to meet them too.”

On Feb. 14, Waterman was crowned as the reigning 2015 Apple Blossom Queen, the second year in a row that WHS has been the stomping grounds of an Apple Blossom Queen. A lengthy and time consuming process, the buildup to the Apple Blossom Royalty coronation from the Top 10 is what Waterman said “prepared you for what’s happening next.”

She also said that she “had a lot of doubt throughout this whole process.” Not believing she would get as far as she did, Waterman expressed that she was in shock when they called her name.

“I was the person that believed the least in myself. My parents and my friends and everyone believed in me so much more than I believed in myself,” Waterman said. “I dreamt of being a princess, and I was like, ‘that would be the goal.’ When they called both them (the princesses), I was just completely defeated and I did not consider being the queen. It was just pure shock when they called my name, I was like, ‘what?’, but it was awesome.”

A huge responsibility, Waterman feels that sacrificing her time to represent the valley she loves is a worthwhile endeavor. With “the whole year filled practically every day,” Waterman has had to make a few changes in her schedule, including eliminating her third-period class. However, she says that she is up for the challenge of balancing her Apple Blossom duties and her school and day-to-day activities.

“I’m pretty used to being busy anyways, but Apple Blossom does interfere with the school day more. I’ve talked to a lot of my teachers and I’m willing to work hard to maintain my grades, but I did have to drop one class just to make sure I manage my time well. You don’t want to overdo it because it won’t work… you have to sacrifice in this position.”

Waterman has lived in Wenatchee since 2008, moving from Issaquah, and said she never ran for Junior Royalty. However, she said that she has “always” played sports in the valley, and felt like running in the pageant would be an opportunity to give back to the “place that holds my heart.” Although she may not have lived her whole life in Wenatchee, Waterman is no newcomer when it comes the the parades and festivities surrounding Apple Blossom.

“My favorite part was the kiddie parade when I was little. I just loved seeing other kids being involved, and it was so exciting,” said Waterman. “I used to be in it in the band and it was my favorite thing to do in Apple Blossom. I (also) danced at the food fair, and so I loved that whole spectrum.”

According to its website, the Apple Blossom Festival’s Grand Parade attracts more than 100,000 people to the Wenatchee Valley. Although locals complain about traffic and crowding, the positives of the festival outway the negatives when looking at the bigger picture.

“The Apple Blossom Festival brings in a lot of people from outside of town and gives them a little taste of Wenatchee and what it’s all about,” Waterman said. “The parade is huge and it’s fantastic that this town can put [it] on. So many people come and use the hotels and the businesses so it helps the economy first of all, but it really helps tourism in Wenatchee.”

Waterman, who plans on going to school at the University of Washington, is hoping to pursue a career in dermatology. She also expressed a desire to study abroad sometime in the future, but hopes to eventually settle in the valley.

“I want my kids to grow up in Wenatchee, or when I’m older I plan to come back as an old woman,” Waterman said. “I think it’s a really good place to grow up and for old people to live.”

Like Apple Blossom queens before her, Waterman hopes to leave a legacy behind her when she heads off into the world beyond the valley.

“I want to be someone who people can look back and can say, ‘She was really nice, and friendly, and she did the job well.’ You have to be able to be yourself and represent what they want you to represent, and so if you believe in everything then I think it should work out. I just want to make sure they can look back and be like, ‘They were a good group of girls to represent this.”

And as for the colossal crown she’s recently been spotted sporting, its appearance, albeit attractive, manages to simultaneously awe and cause a little bit of a headache.

“My crown is very heavy. It leaves a dent in my head. It’ll definitely take some getting used to wearing, but right now when I wear it, my head is squeezed and dented,” Waterman said. “I don’t know how much it weighs, but it’s really heavy. When I’m in my car, I can’t wear it because it hits the top of the (roof). But, it is really pretty.”