SOUTH HAVEN, MI -- Last spring, the senior elected as South Haven High School prom king turned over his crown to a special-needs classmate, Tony Fiorito.
Now, South Haven students have gone one step farther: Hannah Soderquist, a 19-year-old with Down Syndrome and Tony's prom date last May, was overwhelmingly elected homecoming queen Friday.
"This was one of the highlights of our life," said Rich Soderquist, Hannah's father, who works at Parker Aerospace.
"She was thrilled," said Julie Soderquist, Hannah's mother.
What was particularly thrilling was that students appeared to vote for Hannah out of genuine love and affection, Julie Soderquist added.
"She won it all on her own. ... She won all the votes," Julie Soderquist said. "I was wondering if it was going to be a sympathy thing, but it was not. These kids absolutely love her.
"Everybody cried" when Hannah's name was announced, she added. "It was special to a lot of people."
The Soderquists added that Hannah's election said as much about South Haven students as it did about Hannah. When her title was announced at Friday's homecoming game, students gave her a standing ovation and the other members of the homecoming court "were so gracious," Rich Soderquist said.
"They are true leaders," he said about the others nominated, who include homecoming king Tony Canonie, Assad Wilson, J.R. Miller, Ian Everitt, Mikayla McGowan, Elizabeth Cochran and Sarah Dehn.
The Soderquists said many people wanted to have their photo taken with Hannah, and her classmates continued to celebrate her victory at the school's homecoming dance and at the after-party at a local bowling party.
Among those basking in Hannah's victory was her younger sister, Rachel, 14, a freshman in the South Haven Marching Band.
"She's so proud of Hannah," Julie Soderquist said.
Since Friday, word of Hannah's victory has spread to friends and acquaintances across the region, the Soderquists said. Both Julie and Rich Soderquist grew up in Portage, and Hannah is the granddaughter of Kalamazoo County Commissioner John Zull.
Hannah also is well known among the cardiology staff at Bronson Methodist Hospital, her parents said. As part of her Down Syndrome, Hannah has a heart condition.
In fact, her health problems made Friday all the sweeter, her parents said.
"For a time, we didn't know if she would walk or talk," Rich Soderquist said. "Then last year, we almost lost her to pneumonia."
Despite her disability, the Soderquists say Hannah has a rich life. She plays softball and soccer in leagues for special-needs students, loves music and singing, and is going to be in the school play.
Twice a week, Hannah goes to a program at the Bert Goens Learning Center in Lawrence to learn how to make paper and paper products, such as specialized wedding invitations.
"To have this happen is a huge victory," he said about Hannah's election as homecoming queen. "It was awesome."
"This is one of the many miracles of her life this far," Julie Soderquist added. "She has overcome so many things that we were told she may never accomplish: Walking, talking, reading, dancing, high school, college and sports. Medical issues that have both Rich and I declaring that we have honorary medical degrees.
"Hannah has the skill of making people smile and appreciate their life and celebrate her life at the same time. ''' What is so amazing is that she has learned so much from these students and friends and she has taught each of them at the same time."
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Julie Mack covers K-12 education and writes a column for Kalamazoo Gazette. Email her at jmack1@mlive.com, call her at 269-350-0277 or follow her on Twitter at @kzjuliemack.