New Orleans-native Sarah Heebe does not fit neatly into the traditional idea of a Mardi Gras queen — unless that idea includes conversations about quantum computing, a National Merit Scholarship and a deep interest in energy and climate policy.
At 20, she’s also an accomplished trumpet player. She speaks Spanish. She’s a voracious reader who loves museums.
Her varied interests make complete sense to her.
“It’s very New Orleans of me,” she said, laughing.
This year, Heebe will reign as queen of Washington Mardi Gras while juggling life as a sophomore at Yale University, where she is majoring in environmental studies.
“It was a very easy decision,” Heebe said. “I have such varied interests, and this felt like it was always going to be a magical experience.”
Heebe was on summer break, taking classes through the London School of Economics, when she received the call naming her queen of The Mystick Krewe of Louisianians. She remembers being in a museum in Germany when she found out.
She is bringing 24 fellow Yale students with her to the nation’s capital, many of whom had never heard of Washington Mardi Gras before receiving her invitation.
“I didn’t expect so many people would want to come,” she said. “It’s been a challenge trying to explain what Washington Mardi Gras is. There’s no real way to convey the sense of it. At first, I think I did a poor job. Then they started Googling it — that’s when the questions started.”
Her friends, many coming by train from Yale, are from across the country and around the world. Together, they will experience a Louisiana tradition that Heebe herself is still getting to know. She’s attended once before in 2024, when her father, Fred Heebe, served as king.
She says she didn’t approach her role as queen with a lot of expectations and has enjoyed the process thus far.
“I’ve enjoyed meeting people from all over — the princesses and festival queens,” she said. “That’s been one of my favorite parts.”
Mother and daughter, Jennifer, left, and Sarah Heebe, of New Orleans, have worked together for months preparing for Sarah’s reign as queen of The Mystick Krewe of Louisianians at Washington Mardi Gras.
Behind the scenes, the logistics of Washington Mardi Gras brought some surprises, but with the help of her mother, Jennifer Heebe, Sarah Heebe has been able to balance a rigorous school schedule and the required prep for her reign as queen.
Meanwhile, her mom was back home in New Orleans with a kitchen table covered in index cards, trying to figure out charts for events — and enjoying the process. Jennifer Heebe was herself a Washington Mardi Gras princess in 1986.
Sarah Heebe says she didn’t realize “how many little things were involved.” Even so, her wardrobe planning has been stress-free. She built a spreadsheet for her necessary outfits, and with the help of New Orleans designer Suzanne Perrone, she’s ready to go.
For Sarah Heebe, the wardrobe and the pageantry fit naturally alongside her academic life. She has a long history of taking things that seem intimidating and making them approachable — including her award-winning capstone paper at Metairie Park Country Day School: “Quantum Armageddon or Elysium?: How Quantum Computing Might Change the World.”
“Once I learn how not to be intimidated by something, I can help other people learn the same,” she said. “Even with things people might think are frivolous.”
That instinct shows up in the details of her reign. Her breakfast theme is “Night at the Museum,” a nod to her love of museums and storytelling. The movie tie-in, she says, makes it more accessible for her generation.
At Yale, Sarah Heebe says she is known among her friends for how often she talks about Louisiana.
“I never thought of myself as a classic Louisianan,” she said. “But the more I’ve grown, the more I want to represent my state — and do it in a positive way.”
Being away from home has sharpened that feeling. She misses the warm weather, oak-lined streets and po-boys. College, she said, gave her the distance to see Louisiana with fresh eyes.
“I’d certainly like to return,” she said. “Not just because the food is amazing, but because of the culture. It’s home.”
Her mother sees that same pull.
“She’s a smart girl,” Jennifer Heebe said. “But much more important than that, she has a heart of gold. She’s said all along that she wants to come home to New Orleans to work. She’s a Louisiana girl through and through.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nola.com ’
