GROVES — Keni McAdams knows what it takes to reach her goals and is determined enough to go after her dreams.

McAdams, the 2016 Groves Pecan Festival Queen, is looking toward a future as a pediatrician. She’s a member of Port Neches-Groves High School’s Health Occupations Students of America program as a start.

“HOSA will help me get ready for medical school in the future,” McAdams said.

Her choice of the medical field as a career came from the care and professionalism of doctors she has interacted with in the past. She lives with peanut and seafood allergies and has gone into potentially deadly anaphylaxis shock.

“I remember having doctors save my life and I want to help other people who go through this,” she said.

The doctors were able not only to save her life but also calm her fears, elements she wants to emulate as a pediatrician.

McAdams, 17, is proud of her hometown and the opportunity to be the pecan queen.

“I’ve lived in Groves my whole life and am proud to represent the city,” she said.

The teen has been a part of the Pecan Festival Pageant since the age of 3 and had a chance to hang out with several other friends who also compete in the annual pageant.

“This year was really cool because there are three of us who have been in the pageant since we were 3, and this year we all came together for the queen’s division,” she said.

Her mother, Wendy McAdams, snapped a photo of the three friends holding hands together praying before the pageant and of the friends replicating a pose from previous years.

McAdams, a junior at PNG high school, is a busy student. In addition to being in the HOSA program, she is taking all advanced placement classes and is an honor student. She is also a “techie” for the Indian Players, in which she helps design and build sets for the theater group. She’s also a light technician.

She was a freshman and junior varsity cheerleader, took part in competitive cheerleading and was involved in dance when younger.

McAdams is also an active member of United Methodist Temple, where she is a member of the youth group and youth praise team. She has an older brother, 23, who is a live-sound-and-audio engineer in Austin and was an Indian Singer when at the high school.

“I look up to him,” she said. “He followed his dreams.”

Mom Wendy McAdams said she is proud of both of her children and that Keni makes her proud on a daily basis.

Keni McAdams is the daughter of Mark and Wendy McAdams. She was sponsored by Divas Hair salon in Nederland during the pageant.

Mary Meaux: 409-721-2429

Twitter: @MaryMeauxPANews