Mr. Peanut might be the star of the show at this weekend’s Peanut Fest Parade and Touch a Truck and next week’s Peanut Festival, but the true royalty will be the Peanut Fest Queen and her court.

Emily Bazemore, a Nansemond River High School senior, was named from a field of 10 deserving young women as the 2013 Peanut Festival Queen. She and her court will perform a range of duties over the next week, including judging and participating in competitions, attending events and representing their schools and the city well.

Also on the court are Emily Leverone from Nansemond River High School, Kayla Vincent and Erin Banks from King’s Fork High School, Lauren Joyner and Stephanie Boles from Lakeland High School, Kaylor Nash and Anna Hayes Mason from Nansemond-Suffolk Academy and Hannah Fagan and Alexis Metzgar from Suffolk Christian Academy.

These young women have accomplished much already in their relatively short lives, from academic and athletic success to leadership, community service, church activities and part-time jobs.

They were chosen for the honor based on their achievements and an essay that focused on this year’s festival theme: “Bootscootin’, Shell Crushing Good Times.”

The event, like many others throughout the year in Suffolk, demonstrated that while a handful of young people are making trouble, the vast majority are doing the things they ought to be doing at their age to prepare for a successful and productive life — doing well in their studies, developing leadership and job skills and seeking opportunities to broaden their horizons and help their fellow man.

The Rev. Matt Winter of Bethlehem Baptist Church, who delivered the invocation at the Queen’s Luncheon, spoke to just this issue.

“We may be inundated with media saying our young people are going down the wrong path, but it’s clear there are some strong leaders in our community, and Suffolk is going the right way,” he told the crowd gathered at the National Guard Armory on Thursday for the luncheon.

We couldn’t agree more, Rev. Winter. Congratulations to all 10 of the young ladies, and we’ll see you at Peanut Fest.