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83rd International Rice Festival Queen Jimi Madison Joubert

83rd Festival Queen

Jimi Madison Joubert crowned

Saturday saw a gorgeous morning for the crowning of a new International Rice Festival Queen.
Jimi Madison Joubert was crowned the 83rd International Rice Festival Queen.
Jimi is the 20-year-old daughter of John and Kellie Joubert of Opelousas, and she was sponsored by A-Cajun Crawfish House.
She was crowned by 82nd International Rice Festival Queen Victoria Marie Callahan and presented flowers by this year’s Festival Honoree, Thibodeaux Ag Group.
Currently a student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Jimi plans to graduate in May of 2021 with a degree in accounting. She is currently employed as an intern at the CPA firm of Kolder, Slaven & Co., LLC, and manages her parents’ crawfish drive-thru during crawfish season.
She is a pre-member of Beta Alpha Psi, an accounting honor society, and has a 3.4 college GPA.
During her high school years, she placed from local to national levels in 4-H livestock shows and FFA livestock competitions. She also lettered in soccer all four years of high school and won parish and district recognition.
She is a volunteer for the City of Eunice and was a tutor to special education students. She loves being at her family’s crawfish farm and in the kitchen with her mom. She also enjoys doing tax returns, Hobby Lobby trips and decorating for the holidays.
Her goals for the future are to graduate, become a CPA and be a partner in a firm.
Jimi also was selected as Miss Congeniality and presented an engraved silver tray by 2019 Junior Farmer of the Year Jake John Reiners. This honor is voted upon by the contestants themselves.
Selected as first runner-up to the new queen was Amber Marie Lanclos, daughter of Blaine and Jill Lanclos of Franklin, who was sponsored by Star-Tech Marine Electronics.
She was presented an engraved silver tray by 2019 Farmer of the Year Alan Lawson.
Second runner-up was Katelyn Danae LeBlanc, the daughter of Danielle Trahan and Yates LeBlanc of Morse. Representing the City of Crowley, she was sponsored by the Crowley Professional Women’s Club.
She was presented an engraved silver tray by this year’s IRF President, Deborah Nutt Whiting.
A $500 scholarship based on academic performance was awarded to Sarah Marie Robinson.
Rep. John Stefanski and 76th International Rice Festival Queen Sarah Mouton Floyd served as emcees for the pageant.
The International Rice Festival Dance Troupe entertained the crowd while the judges deliberated.
As the 83rd International Rice Festival Queen, Jimi will travel the state of Louisiana attending fairs and festivals promoting the festival and the rice industry.
She will also be presented with cash scholarships and will represent the International Rice Festival at the Washington, D.C., Mystic Krewe of Louisiana Mardi Gras Ball and during the annual Rice Millers Association Convention to be held in Idaho in 2020.
Other contestants included Claire Madison Morgan of Egan, Sarah Marie Robinson of Rector, Arkansas and Skye Elizabeth Wagers of Crowley.

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