A teen burst into tears of joy when her soldier brother returned home after a year overseas to surprise her during her homecoming queen contest. Mariah Beckstead, from Ogden, Utah, had no idea her brother, Ethan, a sergeant with the United States Army National Guard, would be attending the big event at her high school. For the previous year, Ethan – who Mariah calls her "best friend" and "rock" – had been based in Poland, and so his sister was left wondering when she would next see her big brother. But after Ethan had been granted leave, he worked on a plan to be there for his sister's big day. After Mariah had completed her last homecoming routine as a cheerleader with her little sister, she waited with her dad to be called onto the field as one of the homecoming queen nominees. Then, the announcement took a twist, when those in the crowd were informed Mariah was also going to be escorted by Ethan, who was in attendance. A stunned Mariah looked around, before her sergeant brother walked over to give her a big hug. Along the way, Ethan was also jumped on by Mariah’s younger sister, Grace, who also had no idea about the surprise. The moment took place on September 22, 2023, but Mariah, then 17, later shared a video of the moment on TikTok in 2025. Even though Mariah didn't win Homecoming Queen, she said Ethan’s surprise made it feel like she did.
