Many girls dream about being a princess in a parade.

For one Central Michigan University student, that dream will become a surprising reality.

Chesterfield junior Amanda Robinet will be on the “12 Dancing Princesses” Thanksgiving Day Parade float, along with Miss Michigan USA 2010 Rima Fakih and Miss Michigan Teen USA Catherine McGhee, as well as the other winners of the Princess Scholarship Program.

“I’m excited — it’s going to be a generally new experience for me,” Amanda said.

The 83rd Annual America’s Thanksgiving Parade will take place at 9 a.m. Thursday in Detroit.

An active student

The Princess Scholarship Program is carried out by The Parade Company, which handles the parade itself.

Sterling Heights’ Brenna O’Malley won first place and received a $1,000 scholarship, and Robinet will receive $250 as one of three runners-up.

The scholarship asked for community involvement and good academic performance from its participants.

“(It’s looking for) people who invest time in the community and are looking to bring people together of different backgrounds,” Robinet said.

Amanda is an active student — she is a resident assistant at Wheeler Hall, a member of the College Middle Level Association at CMU and a member of Circle K, a collegiate service organization.

Her cousin recommended the program to her and she decided to apply, though she was not expecting to win, she said.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” Robinet said.

‘She seems excited’

Robinet, a graduate of Anchor Bay High School, is now studying to become a middle school teacher with a major in math and a double major in integrated science and elementary level education.

She said she is looking forward to her involvement in the traditional Detroit parade, including an invitation to the Hob Nobble Gobble, a black tie fundraiser held the night before Thanksgiving.

“She seems excited about it,” said Robinet’s roommate, Claire Hamill, a Grosse Pointe Farm freshman.

Robinet said she has already met her fellow princesses and the queen herself, and was relieved to find them friendly and welcoming.

“Everybody was really nice — no one was stuck up or anything,” she said, laughing.

The Princess Scholarship Program will assume a more Beauty Pageant-inspired form next year to determine its winners, Robinet said.

Despite the changes in store, she still stands behind the program that made her into a princess.

“I really recommend it. It’s been a lot of fun,” she said.

E-mail the author: Connor Sheridan