Debutante Emma Whitner- A Must Read!

On June 15, 2018, the Jacksonville Debutante Coterie was announced and 16 young women made the cut. These women will have their final presentation on December 22, during their Christmas Ball. According to the dictionary, a debutante is an upper-class young woman making her first appearance in fashionable society.

The traditions of debutantes are traced back to the Victorian Era, where young women were presented to society with the intention of them meeting a husband of similar social status. These women would dress in a gown similar to a wedding dress and carry a bouquet.

These days, debutante balls are less about a woman finding a husband and more about living a certain kind of lifestyle. Debutante women are focused on living a life of elegance, grace, and proper etiquette because these ladies are upheld to a high standard in society. To even become a debutante in the first place, a woman must be nominated by someone in the community.

 Being a debutante means different things to different people. For example, to Emma Whitner, a sophomore at the University of Florida and member of the Jacksonville Debutante Coterie, being a debutante is something very personal to her. Three of Emma’s aunts were debutantes and some of her friends from elementary school. 

“The debutante season has been really enjoyable so far and it has been so nice for me to be able to spend time with this group of girls most of which I have not seen since elementary school. I am honored to be part of this group because of the tradition,” says Emma.

Emma is also very excited for the Christmas Ball coming up in a couple of months and is hoping that her three aunts will be in attendance to relive their days as debutantes.

Emma Whitner's Diving Story

Being a college athlete is no easy feat. Trying to maintain a good GPA and a social life while practicing 20+ hours a week and travelling on weekends is nearly impossible. However, Florida Gator Emma Whitner has single handedly mastered this task. Emma is a diver for the University of Florida, maintains a 3.87 GPA, made the Dean’s List last year, and still makes time for her friends.

Emma grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and started out her athletic career as a swimmer but wasn’t too fond of the sport. After trying several other activities, she decided that she wanted to try out diving at nine years old. Emma dove for a club team for five years until she reached 8^th grade and the thought of diving in college entered her mind. In 9^th grade, Emma knew she needed to start training with the best of the best if she wanted to be recruited. Her passion for diving led her to move to Orlando to start diving for the YMCA of Central Florida where she knew she could become an even better diver. 

Emma Whitner- A Floridan Athlete's Story

During her time in high school, Emma was a five-time 1A state finalist on the 1-meter, a four-time USA Diving Junior National Championship semi-finalist, and was a co-captain of the YCF Diving Team during her junior and senior years. Emma then committed to dive for the University of Florida during the end of her junior year.

The head coach of Florida Swimming & Diving who recruited and signed Emma was Dale Scholtz, who coached Emma’s father during his time as a swimmer at the University of Florida. Scholtz left to coach at the University of Arkansas the summer before Emma’s freshman year and he was replaced by Bryan Gillooly, who used to coach Emma when she was in high school.

“It’s funny how small the swimming & diving world really is. The sense of community and friendship in this sport is really what made me love it in the first place,” says Emma.

 
Emma’s dedication and hard work have not only led her to becoming a Division I college athlete, but has also made her driven and successful in all aspects of her life. Emma recommends that if anyone has a child who is wanting to get into sports, to consider joining a swimming or diving team. Emma says she wouldn’t be the person she is today if it hadn’t been for her diving career. 


The story was originally written by Carolyn Carter -:) I am very thankful to her!