Vying for the crown

The Miss Bureau County Fair Queen pageant is set for Sunday, Aug. 6, at Bureau Valley High School in Manlius. The Little Miss pageant begins at 4 p.m. The Junior Miss and the Miss Bureau County Fair Queen pageants begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. The public is invited. Following is information submitted to the Bureau County Republican regarding the 10 candidates for the Miss Bureau County Fair Queen pageant:

Hannah Atherton

Age: 18

Hometown: Sublette

Atherton will be a freshman at Sauk Valley Community College in the fall. In high school, she was involved in the yearbook committee, a Renaissance member, National Honor Society president and a Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities student, of which she was named Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities Most Passionate Student. She was also a 2017 Switzer Scholarship winner and was on the 2017 Sauk Valley Community College dean’s list. She has also been a volunteer/emcee for Walnut’s Miss Independence pageant, a Walnut Youth Soccer League assistant coach, organized a blood drive, canned food drive, toy drive and community service events with the National Honor Society.

Her hobbies include being a business marketing major with interest and experience in cosmetology, a passion for traveling, shopping and all things design, a self-described adrenaline junkie with a love for coffee, chocolate and all things Southern.

Atherton would like to be Miss Bureau County Fair Queen to help demonstrate the importance of hard work, while encouraging more girls to push their limits by becoming the best version of themselves.

Lindsey Brown

Age: 19

Hometown: Kewanee

Brown will be a junior at Illinois State in the fall. She is a member of Epsilon Sigma Alpha, member of Best Buddies, Redbird Red Cross and Deaf Redbirds. She is an all-state pole vaulter and Star Courier Athlete of the Week. She has 250 service hours as an SAAS note-taker, has helped raise money for St Jude’s and volunteered at the 2017 Special Olympics track meet.

Her hobbies include volunteering, painting, playing cards, and playing her saxophone.

Brown would like to be Miss Bureau County Fair Queen to serve as an ambassador for the county fair and local agriculture.

Haleigh Hall

Age: 17

Hometown: Princeton

Hall will be a senior at Princeton High School this fall. She is the PHS Pom Pon captain, Student Council president, president of the senior class, in band, First Class, the yearbook committee, softball, thespians, prom committee and book Club. She has been a member of the PHS Homecoming court for three years in a row, the Student of the Month and an all-American Dancer. She also helps with various church activities, coaches city league softball and helps with the 4-H Fair.

Her hobbies include hunting, fishing, exercising, reading and spending time with my family. She is also interested in emergency medicine and joining the national guard.

Hall would like to be Miss Bureau County Fair Queen — a dream she’s had since she was very young — because she feels as if it would be a blessing to become a bigger part of the community; allowing her to give back to the very place that has helped her attend and support various events throughout the year; and it will give her two little sisters — the Junior Miss and the Little Miss.

Autumn Hankins

Age: 18

Hometown: Henry

Hankins will be a sophomore at Illinois Central College in the fall. She is involved in medical classes hosted by EMT/paramedic group at Illinois Central College, Deaf Idol, dinners hosted by the ICC’s deaf community and music lessons. She has been on the dean’s list at ICC, is certified EMT/CPR trained, and the winner of the Writer’s Quill Pen Award. She is a musician/singer at her church, a Sunday school teacher, participates in the deaf community/church, a volunteer for cleaning up natural disasters, served on the Henry EMS/Police ceremony for 9/11, and a volunteer EMS for Peoria’s HOI Fair.

Her hobbies include learning/playing piano and guitar, learning ASL, participating in medical classes and activities hosted by ICC’s EMS group, participating in deaf dinners, idol and church, reading and writing for a blog on Wordpress, working out and playing tennis.

Hankins would like to be Miss Bureau County Fair Queen because she is intrigued and excited to be able to experience it first hand for myself. She has learned to embrace the little things that are taken for granted and seizes every opportunity presented. When she heard about the opening for the Miss Bureau County Fair Queen, she knew it was something she wanted to whole-heartedly pursue. She hopes this experience helps her grow as an individual and become a bigger part of the community as well as be an example for her younger sisters and the younger girls who watch.

Michelle Harris

Age: 17

Hometown: Princeton

Harris will be a freshman at IVCC in the fall. In high school, she was a member of Project Success. She is a Illinois Youth Scholar and is chief of Princeton Police Explorers. She volunteers for that organization.

Her hobbies include cooking, welding, fishing, volleyball and ghost hunting.

Harris would like to be the next Miss Bureau County Fair queen to increase her interaction with the residents of Bureau County and show her pride of the county to the whole state.

Brianna Legner

Age: 19

Hometown: Princeton

Legner will be a sophomore at IVCC this fall. She is in the high honors program and is in the running club and was recently elected class secretary. She is on the presidential high honors list. In high school she was in the National Honor Society and cross country. She received numerous awards while competing in cross country.

Her hobbies include piano, running, music, fitness and working.

Legner would like to be Miss Bureau County Fair Queen because she appreciates the farming activities of the fair and the sense of community coming together to create a fun-filled week. She believes the queen pageant allows girls the opportunity to network with people across the state.

Luciana Mautino

Age: 19

Hometown: Spring Valley

Mautino will be a sophomore at IVCC in the fall. At Hall High School, she participated in softball, cheerleading and volleyball. She was Three Rivers Conference first team for Hall softball and Arrowhead All Conference for IVCC. She is also a member of the Illinois Valley Democratic Women’s Club and volunteers for Relay for Life.

Her hobbies include running and traveling.

Mautino would like to be Miss Bureau County Fair Queen because not only was she born in Bureau County, but she has attended and worked at the fair for as long as she can remember. Her goal is to teach and become a coach in Bureau County, and she believes it would an honor to represent her home and its citizens.

Heidi Nielsen

Age: 19

Hometown: Spring Valley

Nielsen played high school softball, bowling, was a member of Pep Club, Spanish Club, Science Club and was football manger her senior year. She is a Francee Wolf Memorial Scholarship recipient and Elks Teen of the Month nominee. She is a member of her church softball league.

Her hobbies include reading, sewing, doing hair and make up, and swimming.

Nielsen would like to be the next Miss Bureau County Fair Queen because she believes everyone should step outside of their comfort zone once in a while and try new things. The pageant is definitely a new thing for her.

Kathleen Smith

Age: 18

Hometown: Walnut

Smith will be a freshman at Sauk Valley Community College in the fall. In high school, she was a member of FFA where she was the chapter reporter her senior year. She was also a member of the National Honor Society, Advanced Science Club and Spanish Club. She is an Illinois State scholar and a Sauk Scholar. Smith is a member of the Walnut Winners 4-H club and is a member of the Bureau County 4-H Federation for the past three years. She is also a dancer and decorates the alter for her church at Easter and Christmas.

Her hobbies are dancing, sewing, gardening and showing pigs.

Smith would like to be the next Bureau County Fair Queen because she wants to be even more involved with county events and would like to represent the county across the state.

Tori Wallace

Age: 17

Hometown: Princeton

Wallace will be a senior at Princeton High School. She is involved in soccer and tennis. She is a certified lifeguard and certified pharmacy technician. She attends Princeton Bible Church, and she gives private tennis lessons as well as cheer and swim lessons.

Her hobbies include nature walks and visiting national parks. She enjoys spending time with her great-grandmother in the nursing home.

Wallace would like to be Miss Bureau County Fair Queen to fulfill a childhood dream of being someone younger girls can look up to. She would also like to represent the county in a positive way as well as attend local events.