BUCHANAN — About one year ago, Emily Riley was backstage at Buchanan High School’s auditorium, nerves at their peak.

She was due on stage soon, where she would compete with 13 other young women for the Miss Buchanan crown.

“I never saw myself being the queen,” she said. “No one saw [me] being the queen. I was just average. I was just an average person doing it.”

Then came the opening dance number performed by all the contestants. Riley’s nerves went away.

Soon, she found herself among the top five. Then, the top three. Then Miss Buchanan 2018, Cora Schau, was behind her, placing a crown on her head. Riley had become Buchanan’s 80th member of royalty.

Riley was whisked away to a coronation ball, feeling average to herself, but no longer so to the community she grew up in.

Almost one year later, on the day before Thanksgiving, Riley said she had much to be thankful for as Miss Buchanan.

“It has made me love Buchanan even more and realize how tight-knit this community really is,” she said. “I was part of the Herd back when I was in high school, and that gave me a perspective on it. Being Miss Buchanan made me appreciate it even more.”

Riley sat at Union Coffee House & Café, 115 E. Front St., in Buchanan. Her crown sat beside her in a box. On Saturday, Dec. 6, she will pass it along to the 81st Miss Buchanan at the end of a pageant show starting at 6 p.m. in Buchanan High School auditorium, 401 W. Chicago St.

She said she cannot wait to pass along her role just as much as she wants to hold on for it a bit longer. The role has done a lot for her since the 2018 pageant.

“Looking back on how I was that night and how I am now, it’s a complete 360 of how I speak and how I act around other people,” she said. “It is an extremely amazing experience.”

Before, Riley said she was unsure of herself. Now, she radiates confidence.

Before, she had trouble in interviews. Now, she is a master of it, having landed a job at Spectrum Health Lakeland as a transporter because of it.

Before, she loved Buchanan. Now, she loves her home even more. She said the definition of Buchanan is “tight-knit,” and she has experienced that definition time and again.

She has also gained a better appreciation for Berrien County at large. She was able to bond with her “sister queens” from other towns during events, learning about each community and the area at large.

Riley said she even learned how to apply makeup properly. Before becoming royalty, as a proud “country girl,” she had hardly touched the stuff.

Miss Buchanan’s country roots are still strong, however. Riley said one of her favorite moments was taking a farm tour with other queens. They donned sweatshirts and jeans and saw the impact agriculture had on the county.

When Riley passes her crown on, she will continue to appreciate Buchanan and its county while looking to the future. One may likely see her studying to become a nurse — that is, if she is not out walking her dog, Mazy.

“She’s the real Miss Buchanan,” Riley said.

At the pageant Saturday, when the transition of royalty occurs, Riley said she will likely have a mix of emotions. She said she is excited for the new Miss Buchanan, her court and all the opportunities they will have, but she will also be sad to leave the opportunities the role gives behind.

She also said she is a bit nervous about passing on the crown. She has enough trouble pinning it on herself successfully as it is.

As for the “real” Miss Buchanan, Mazy the pitbull?

“She would be at the pageant if she was able,” Riley said.

Tickets for the Miss Buchanan 2020 pageant, titled “Fall, the Greatest Season to be in Buchanan,” can be purchased for $20 from the contestants, Guys & Dolls Styling and at the door.

A coronation ball will follow at American Legion Post 51, 403 E. Front St. Tickets are $5.