GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Danielle Catlett feels very, very pretty.

On the evening of Oct. 14, Catlett, a senior at Clay High, and her king-to-be walked arm and arm through waving silver flags to stand with four other high school girls vying to be homecoming queen.

She smirked and waved at her friends while she balanced on the football turf.

Eliza Williamson, Catlett’s friend, ran from the sidelines and blitzed her with a hug immediately after the emcee announced that Taylor Vetter had been named homecoming queen 2016-17 to a screaming crowd.

“You’re so beautiful,” said Williamson, tears in her eyes.

Catlett smiled even harder after the results.

Williamson and Catlett know just about everything about each other. Williamson knows Catlett enjoys art classes, surfing and softball. She also knows she has Down syndrome and doesn’t get to dress up a lot, but Catlett appeared more than comfortable standing in front of packed stands.

Two years ago, Williamson partnered with Catlett through the Best Buddies program at Clay High, an extension of the Best Buddies International organization, a global initiative that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Williamson said Catlett’s run for homecoming queen was a great example not only of the power of the Best Buddies program at Clay High, but the power of all the sports communities and clubs coming together to earn Catlett enough votes to be on the court.

“Best Buddies is about inclusion and about showing people what peoples’ abilities are not what their disabilities are, and I think people really saw that this week, and that’s what we really wanted,” Williamson said.

Williamson helped rouse support for Catlett’s election to the homecoming court this year. She and Ginny Stephens, a senior at Clay High who was also up for election, blitzed social media and passed out flyers and candy to prmote Catlett’s candidacy. The campaign went viral online among the five seniors on the homecoming court.

“At least on Twitter, 6,000 people saw it,” Stephens said. “In general, the whole school was in support of her. I’ve known Danielle since we both were four. We went to the same private school so I‘ve known her for 10 or 12 years and she’s always just had a positive attitude and a smile.”

Williamson has noticed the same things about Catlett in her two years with her.

“I think the biggest thing about Danielle that’s different from other people is that she’s nice to everyone, she has an open heart to everyone,” Williamson said. “She never says anything bad about anyone. I don’t even think she sees bad things in people and it makes me feel more positive because the way she looks at life. I think that’s my favorite thing about her.”

Hurricane Matthew barreled through the First Coast just a week before the homecoming queen elections, so announcements of homecoming court elections came via intercom the Wednesday before the elections.

Williamson and Catlett had to begin work immediately.

Before Friday, Williamson and Catlett had to put their heads together to work out hair, makeup and dresses. Williamson and Catlett had very little time to prepare. Ultimately, Catlett wore her sister’s dress to the homecoming elections. The days following the Wednesday announcement were a little stressful for the two of them. Catlett had to attend a pep rally, a float parade through Green Cove Springs and the Blue Devil’s Bash, essentially a dance based off Clay High’s mascot.

Catlett danced with boys and her friends – something she doesn’t get to do often. Catlett said the dancing was her favorite part of the entire experience.

“I felt really cool,” Catlett said.

Williamson said she learned “it doesn’t matter what you look like, the biggest thing is it doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside, it matters what you look like on the inside, and Danielle is the most beautiful person on the inside.” She hopes others in the school also learned something from Catlett’s election.

Catlett, on the other hand, said she feels more confident and will undoubtedly take this experience into adulthood.

“I feel like a princess,” Catlett said.