Blanche Alverson is used to hearing her name called out over the loudspeaker, but Saturday afternoon proved to be something special.
During the halftime show at Auburn's Homecoming Game against New Mexico State, the senior women's basketball player was named Miss Homecoming, a recognition that focuses not for her on-court abilities, but her involvement in the community and her commitment to children.
"It's just incredible," Alverson said. "This University has given so much to me, and I'm just blessed to be able to do something in return for them and be able to represent the Auburn community, just because they've been there for me throughout my four years."
Her father, Bill, escorted Alverson onto the field, an experience she says she will never forget.
"It was so cool, it really was," Alverson said. "It was a once in a lifetime experience, just being down there with the band. I think one of the coolest things was walking down, and they're holding the flags while you're walking. It was just awesome being able to share that moment with my dad and the other candidates on the field."
Alverson was one of five finalists who spent Homecoming Week campaigning and raising awareness for their platforms before Auburn students voted for their favorite candidate Friday, Nov. 2.
Other nominees were Kathryn Crowley, Mallory Gilliland, Anna Davidson and Becca Goad.
Alverson's platform, "Ballin' For Books" is a community service initiative she created last season that provides books to children in the Auburn-Opelika area.
"My teammates and I would go and read to different schools and be in read-a-thons," Alverson said. "My mom is actually a special needs pre-K principal, and one thing that she always told me was, 'We can always use more books here.' I knew that if they, a public school system, needed more books, then there were many other organizations that needed books as well."
In just two games, Alverson and the basketball team collected more than 1,100 donated books they donated to the Loachapoka Library, the Pine Hills Literacy Project and the Boys and Girls Club.
Alverson is no stranger to community service, juggling volunteering on top of class, practice and sorority functions throughout her career at Auburn.
Yet, Alverson always finds time to give back to Auburn, a trait she said she learned from her parents.
"My parents always preached to us that we're very blessed with what we have, and you take those blessings and you give them out," Alverson said. "You help different kinds of people with whatever they might need. Actually, this past Christmas when I went home, we delivered food around Andalusia, my hometown. It's just something my family has instilled in me from an early age."
Alverson said that involvement in athletics has allowed her to find channels to help others in the community.
"I knew coming here that being on the women's basketball team would give you a pedestal to really make a difference and impact," Alverson said.
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