From Chemistry to a Crown: Miss Zachary 2026

Gabreyela Gonzalez wears many hats around campus: senior chemical engineering student, Director of Campus Life and Sustainability, mass spectrometry facility worker, and now, she has added a crown to that list.

Every year, Zachary, Louisiana, holds a community and scholarship pageant for girls and women ages 0-23. This year, the Miss Zachary title was awarded to LSU ChE’s very own Gabreyela Gonzalez. Gonzalez, a senior undergraduate chemical engineering student with a concentration in biomolecular chemical engineering, is also the current queen of the statewide annual Really Hot Air Balloon Festival. 

Gonzalez did not initially plan to become a chemical engineer. With both of her parents working in the field, however, she was able to see where chemical engineering could take her. 

“Both my parents are chemical engineers, and through their work, I realized it was very versatile,” Gonzalez said. 

Her current plans are now to pursue a career that combines her passions for sustainability and biochemical research. For Gonzalez, this combination has led her to space medicine. 

During her reign, Gonzalez wants to increase STEM outreach in K-12 programs. Her biochemistry club, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), helps with this by bringing enzyme kinetics experiments into schools. The club creates low-cost experiments so that schools with limited funding can still afford access to these activities. As Miss Zachary, Gonzalez wants to bring this outreach program to Zachary High School. 

Her interest in sustainability also extends throughout campus. Gonzalez started Keep Zachary Beautiful in high school and has since expanded that work to LSU. She now works with sustainability efforts on campus to make Keep LSU Beautiful happen. 
As for her plans upon graduation, Gonzalez plans to continue her education by pursuing a Ph.D. in either biochemistry or biochemical engineering.

Her ultimate goal is to become an astronaut. Until then, Gonzalez will continue finding ways to pursue her interests in science, sustainability and service — both in the classroom and beyond. 

To hear more from Gonzalez, watch her interview here: LSU Chemical Engineering Instagram