05/09/2025
A Beautiful Whirlwind
By Bro. Edward S Jones, Editor-in-Chief and the Director of Public Relations for the 2025 San Antonio National Pan-Hellenic Council (SANPHC) Cookout
There are some moments, and some people, that seem to arrive like a whirlwind. Beautiful, bold, and bursting with promise. For 15-year-old Lauren Hardeway, reigning Miss Top Teen Queen 2025–2026 for the River City Chapter of Top Teens of America, that whirlwind has been both a journey and a calling. Since claiming her crown on Sunday, February 23, 2025, Lauren has gracefully balanced the weight of royalty with the grounded spirit of service, leadership, and sisterhood, most recently completing her duties as a featured youth participant during San Antonio’s 2025 Fiesta Season.
A freshman at Byron Steele High School, Lauren is a young woman whose presence resonates with clarity and purpose. In a world where teen life often moves between uncertainty and self-discovery, Lauren stands firmly in her gifts. She is a student-athlete, an artist, a volunteer, and most importantly, a leader who brings substance and style to everything she touches.
As a two-time All-American in track and field, competing in shot put and discus for both Steele High School and One Nation Athletics AAU Team, Lauren's strength is more than physical. It is the same strength that drives her excellence as a member of the school’s Honors Choir, and the same strength that fuels her bold strides on stage and in service. Whether belting out a melody, stepping onto a track, or representing her community at Fiesta events, Lauren does so with grace, humility, and confidence.
Her leadership resume rivals those twice her age. A former President of the Zeta Youth Auxiliary’s Amicette group, she now serves as Historian of the Archonette group, showing a consistent dedication to legacy and organization. She is also an engaged member of Xinos, the youth arm of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc., and a proud representative of Top Teens of America. In each of these roles, Lauren is known not only for her poise but for her vision, a powerful trait she shares with her late father, Terry Hardeway, whose memory she carries with deep love and resolve.
Lauren's character is a beautiful paradox: fun-loving yet focused, caring yet courageous, youthful yet wise beyond her years. She finds joy in the simple things, such as singing, writing, gaming on Roblox, reading, while continuing to stretch her potential through acts of kindness, mentorship, and ambition.
Off the runway and outside the classroom, Lauren remains deeply rooted in family. She is the youngest sibling to Tyler and Dillan Hardeway and the beloved daughter of Wish Hardeway. Her grounding in faith, service, and legacy is clear in the way she lifts others while always striving for more.
With dreams of becoming both a nurse and a professional singer, Lauren’s future is already in motion. Her guiding words, “One note, one goal, one act of kindness at a time,” aren’t just a motto, they’re a roadmap for how she moves through the world.
In the short time since she stepped into the spotlight, Lauren Hardeway has captured hearts and inspired minds. And while her whirlwind reign as Miss Top Teen Queen may have just begun, it’s clear that her story, much like her spirit, is just getting started.
