By Jennifer Gardiner | [email protected] 

The Miss Riverton Scholarship Competition ended with a community saying goodbye to its reigning Queen, Gabby Hindoian, and welcoming in their new royalty, Queen Bethany Fox, First Attendant Lily May Snow and Second Attendant Gentry Rose. 

This was Fox’s first pageant, and she is ready to take on what she says is a “public health crisis” and is planning to use her platform to help her community battle children being exposed to pornography. 

“Children in their formative years are not yet emotionally or mentally prepared to make sound judgments regarding sexually explicit material, and such material is harmful to minors,” Fox said. “My goal is to help protect children from pornography through influencing community standards and educating parents on creating family standards.”

Fox said she hopes to see the Riverton City Council promote a community standard that reflects and encourages a wholesome environment for children and families, similar to a resolution passed in Sandy City in October 2015. 

“I will propose that Riverton City adopt a strong, detailed resolution, encouraging all businesses, schools and public institutions in Riverton City to uphold child-appropriate standards,” she said. “As Miss Riverton, I plan to write an article to bring awareness to those available resources. I will also post links to articles online that can help parents create a standard of what is acceptable in their families.”

Fox understands it may not be feasible to completely eliminate the likelihood of children encountering pornography but believes individuals, families and communities can make great strides in protecting them through education, awareness and open discussion.

Fox said the experience of the competition has taught her a lot about current events, how to speak confidently and how to make new friends. 

When asked why she entered the competition, she said she remembers thinking “Why not?”

“That sounds like a fun, interesting experience.” she said. “Sean Wilson, the pageant director, is absolutely amazing. I loved working with her.”

During the competition, she played an excerpt from Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor on her violin. 

“I had been working on this concerto for a year, and I performed the first movement in its entirety last December for my senior recital,” she said. “I’ve played the violin since I was 4 years old and have a been a member of the Lyceum Philharmonic Orchestra for four years.”

Fox has some advice for young women who might be considering entering into pageants and competitions. 

“I would say fear is not a good enough reason not to do something,” she said. “If you want to do something, be brave and go for it. If you don’t attempt or try new and difficult things, you absolutely cannot accomplish them. If you try, you may not succeed, but what if you do? Win or lose, success or failure, it will be worth it because growth and learning can come with either outcome.”

She has lived in Riverton for 12 years with her parents, Abraham and Betsy Fox, and six younger siblings. Her older brother is serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Dallas, Texas. She has been home-schooled her entire life, with the exception of a few classes at Riverton High School. 

She will be attending BYU-Idaho in September to study musical arts with an emphasis on violin.