MISS COMMODORE PERRY IS FIRST RUNNER-UP AND MISS CONGENIALITY AND MISS MILLVILLE IS SECOND RUNNER-UP FROM 10 SEMIFINALISTS

“I couldn’t be more surprised,” said Miss Alice Ravert, the newly crowned 2025 Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen, daughter of Susan and John Ravert of Montoursville, Lycoming County.  

She was chosen by four judges from a field of 21 candidates representing high schools across Pennsylvania and crowned on Saturday, June 21 in the auditorium at the Wellsboro Area School District Administration building at 227 Nichols Street by last year’s queen, Miss Liliana Kilgore, a 2024 graduate of Manheim Township High School in Lancaster County.  

As queen, Miss Ravert was awarded a $3,000 educational scholarship and will return to attend other events in the community, including next year’s festival to crown her successor.

The coronation ceremony is always one of the highlights of the Laurel Festival, hosted in Wellsboro for 83 years. It was first held in 1938.

“I came to Wellsboro not knowing anyone or what the Laurel Festival would be like,” said Miss Ravert. “I’ve never participated in anything like this before. Even though I’ve performed in musicals and plays for years, I’ve never done anything like this. It was terrifying but also the most amazing experience I could have asked for.” 

Miss Ravert’s mother, Susan Renee Fitzgibbon represented Warrior Run High School in Northumberland County as a Laurel queen candidate in 1995.  

Asked what she was going to remember most from this experience, Miss Ravert replied, “Definitely the people I shared it with. I’ve never been the most social person but the other candidates were so amazing. Miss Montgomery Cali Barnes was with me the whole time. We practiced answering questions together. All of the girls in my group really got me through this and I’m hoping to keep in contact with them in the future.”  

This fall, Miss Ravert will be a senior at Montoursville Area High School. Following graduation in 2026, she plans to attend either Temple University in Philadelphia or Messiah University in Mechanicsburg and major in Music Education with a vocal track to prepare to become a K-12 music teacher and earn teaching certification in musical theater.

Her career goal is to secure a position as a high school choir teacher and also be in charge of the school’s theater department and direct plays and musicals. 

As a freshman, sophomore and junior, Miss Ravert played flute and piano in the Montoursville High School Band, piano in jazz band, flute in the marching band and was drum major as a junior; sang soprano in the Montoursville High School Choir and the a cappella choir; and was a member of the Montoursville Area High School Musical Theatre Club and Theatre Arts Club. In musicals, she had a featured role as a freshman, a lead role as a sophomore, and a featured role and supporting role as a junior, and in plays had featured roles as a sophomore and junior. 

Those three years, she was also on honor roll every semester, competed on the Lady Warriors Tennis Team, was a member of Key Club and Spanish Club, and took voice lessons with Ms. Amanda Haney from the Community Theatre League in Williamsport. Since kindergarten, Miss Ravert has studied at The Katie Benson School of Dance in Montoursville.  

First Runner-Up and Miss Congeniality

Miss Commodore Perry Lilly Waleff, daughter of Marci and Stevan Waleff of Hadley in Mercer County was named first runner-up and also, by vote of the other queen candidates, was chosen Miss Congeniality. She will receive a total of $2,000 in educational scholarship funds, $1,500 as the first runner-up and $500 as Miss Congeniality. This fall, she will be attending Penn State University’s main campus where she will major in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Her career goal is to earn a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and work in a clinic as a veterinarian and do research on internal parasites.

All four years of high school, Miss Waleff was on high honor roll; competed on the volleyball, basketball and track and field teams; was in drama club, show choir, concert choir and concert band; was a volunteer horse wrangler at WLD Horse Ranch; worked on her family’s educational farm as a trainer and guide assisting with the care and training of pack goats and caring for other livestock; and having been involved in Girl Scouts since kindergarten, is planning to finish her Gold Award project this summer.  

Second Runner-Up

Named second runner-up and the recipient of a $1,000 educational scholarship is Miss Millville Alexis Eyer, daughter of Megan and Seth Eyer of Greenwood Township. This fall, she will be a senior at Millville Junior-Senior High School in Columbia County. She plans to attend college following graduation from high school in 2026. Her career goal is to become a pharmacist.   

Her sister Kellsey Eyer represented Millville as a Laurel queen candidate in 2023.

As a freshman, sophomore and junior, Miss Eyer was on the distinguished honor roll; served as secretary of the Class of 2026 all three years; played varsity field hockey winning awards each year and varsity softball; was a three-year member of the Senior High Student Council; active in the Millville Christian Church, doing volunteer work; and was employed at Aucker’s Apiary, bottling and labelling honey and packaging other honey projects.

10 Semifinalists and Judges

In addition to Laurel Queen Alice Ravert and first and second runners-up, Miss Commodore Perry Lilly Waleff and Miss Millville Alexis Eyer, the 10 semifinalists included: Miss Canton, Addilyn Pepper; Miss DuBois, Hanna Rehar; Miss Mount Carmel, Tori DeFrancesco; Miss North Penn-Mansfield, Madeline Youmans; Miss Port Allegany, Madison Fillhart; Miss Ringgold, Isabella Hooper; and Miss Williamsport, Emily Kime. 

Judges for this event were: Renata Stiehl, news director and anchor from WENY-TV, Horseheads, NY; Jake McMichaels, radio personality from 93.3 WBZD-FM, Williamsport; Marti Shabloski, Tioga County Emergency Services, Wellsboro; and Jess Sandstrom of KC101, Tioga County’s Hometown Radio.