Eight young ladies vying for crown of 2012 Allamakee County Fair Queen

Eight Allamakee County young ladies are vying for the title of 2012 Allamakee County Fair Queen. That crown and all the honors and responsibilities that accompany it will be bestowed upon one of those candidates Tuesday, July 17 during the Allamakee County Fair Queen Pageant and Youth Showcase being held at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion.
The event will begin at 7 p.m. with the Youth Showcase portion. Members of the FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapters from Waukon High School and Kee High School in Lansing will make presentations, as will the Iowa State Fair qualifiers from the recent 4-H Communications Day held in Allamakee County.
The crowning of the Allamakee County Fair Queen will follow, with an Allamakee County Fair Princess also being selected. All candidates will be part of the Allamakee County Fair Royalty Team assisting with various events throughout the 2012 Allamakee County Fair. The 2012 Allamakee County Fair Queen will advance on to compete for the title of Iowa State Fair Queen in August.
Biographies of each of the eight candidates seeking this year’s Allamakee County Fair Queen crown follow:

Taji Ahouse -
Taji Ahouse is the 18-year-old daughter of Marlene and Ed Ahouse of Waukon. She graduated from Waukon High School in May of this year and plans to attend Mt. Mercy University in Cedar Rapids in August as a freshman in the school's nursing program.
Taji participated in high school musicals and plays all four years of her high school career, also participating in a community theater production. She participated in band from fifth grade through her sophomore year and was a member of her high school choir her last two years in high school. She also took part in volleyball her freshman and sophomore years and participated in track during her junior high years.
Her involvement in those school activities has led to the awarding of a Waukon "W" letter in band and choir, multiple Division I and Division II pins for large and small group band and choir contests, as well as being selected as Most Improved in choir during her senior year.
Outside of school, Taji has been a member of her 4-H club for the past eight years, as well as a four-year member of the Allamakee County 4-H County Council. She has held the offices of historian, photographer, vice president and president within her 4-H club, and has received leadership and citizenship awards, record book completion awards and club officer awards.
Taji's interest in nursing stems from taking the Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) course through Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC). She hopes to take missionary trips and participate in volunteer work as a nursing student at Mt. Mercy University, with plans to become a traveling nurse right after college before finding a nursing position in a small town or rural area and eventually becoming a teaching nurse, floor supervisor, nurse practitioner or a facility administrator.

Lexie Bieber -
Lexie Bieber, age 16, is the daughter of Ed and Amy Bieber of Waukon. She will be entering her junior year at Waukon High School this fall and has future plans to attend a four-year college to major in Elementary Education.
Lexie is active in varsity cheerleading at Waukon High School, where she has also been a Student Council member and named to the "B" Honor Roll. She was selected as a participant on the 2012 Iowa All-Star Cheer Squad and is also involved in American Legion and helps out on the family farm.
Active in both Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4-H, Lexie serves as historian for the Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School and is also a member of the chapter's Conduct of Meetings team. In 4-H, Lexie has served as vice president of her club, the West Ridge Riders, and has also been a member of the Youth Committee and County Council. She was named the 2011 Allamakee County 4-H Beef Champion and has attended the State 4-H Conference and Animal Science Round-up.

Shelby Bodley -
Seventeen-year-old Shelby Bodley is the daughter of Jamie and Elaine Bodley of Waukon. She will be entering her senior year at Waukon High School this fall, with plans to attend a four-year school for Accounting after high school graduation.
As a 4-H member, Shelby has served as secretary of her club, as well as president of the Allamakee County 4-H County Council. She has also been a member of the Youth Committee and Citizenship Club.
Her leadership also carries over into the Little Switzerland Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter at Waukon High School, where she served as treasurer for the 2011-2012 school year and will be serving as president for the 2012-2013 school year. She was also awarded the FFA Star Chapter Greenhand Award in 2009-2010, FFA Greenhand and Chapter Degrees, and awards in FFA Equine Placement and Landscape Management.
Also involved in high school speech competition, Shelby has received an Academic Letter each of the last three years and was also selected to the National Honor Society this past spring. Outside of school, she is involved in her church youth group.

Samantha Brink -
Samantha Brink, 18, is the daughter of Al Brink and Becky Underbakke of Waukon. She graduated from Waukon High School in May of this year and has plans to attend Iowa State University in Ames this fall to major in Animal Science.
While in high school, Samantha was a cheerleader for the varsity football and girls basketball teams, and she was also involved in band, choir, speech, musicals, plays and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). She also participated in Dollars for Scholars and served as a Student Council member.
Outside of school, Samantha is involved in 4-H and her church youth group. She also participates in league bowling.

Samantha Cota -
Samantha Cota is the 18-year-old daughter of John and Dana Cota of Harpers Ferry. She graduated from Waukon High School in May of this year and has plans to attend the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls this fall to major in psychology and vocal music.
Her school involvement includes participating in Waukon High School cross country, band, choir, mixed chamber choir and colla voce, as well as musicals and plays. She played the lead role of Dorothy in the high school musical "The Wizard of Oz" this past fall, and she was selected for Dorian Honor Choir this year and UNI Honor Choir, in addition to receiving numerous Division I ratings in small and large group choir festivals, including a  Division I rating on her solo this year.
Additional school involvement for Samantha included Dollars for Scholars and small group and large group speech, where she participated in State Speech six times with Musical Theater, One Act Play and Reader's Theater entries. She has also earned varsity letters in academics, athletics, band and choir.
Through the American Legion Auxiliary, Samantha was selected to attend Girls State last summer. She has also earned selection as a State Fair alternate with her 4-H photography projects, and has shown beef cattle that have placed twice in the Rate of Gain contest at the Allamakee County Fair.

Amanda Lage -
Amanda Lage, age 17, is the daughter of Amy and Greg Lage of Postville. She will be entering her senior year this fall at Postville High School and has plans to attend an agricultural school to major in an animal science field after high school graduation.
Amanda's school activities include softball, volleyball and golf, each of which she has earned varsity letters in. She is also involved in band, plays and musicals, and has earned Academic Letter Awards and been inducted into the National Honor Society.
Involvement in Future Farmers of America (FFA) has earned her the 2012 Outstanding Junior Award and induction into the officer position of sentinel for the Postville chapter in 2012. She has also been a member of both the 2010 Conduct of Meetings team and 2011 Parliamentary Procedure team.
Amanda is also involved in Peer Helpers and her church youth group. She is also a member of the Allamakee County Food & Fitness Team and the Engaging Youth Service Communities (EYSC) organization.
Amanda's involvement in 4-H has seen her hold such officer positions in her club as historian, treasurer and secretary. She has also received numerous awards, including the Intermediate Beef Award, Intermediate Photography Award, Intermediate Food Nutrition Award, Intermediate Visual Arts Award, Senior Food Nutrition Award, Senior Visual Arts Award, Senior Photography Award, the 2010 Allamakee County Beef Champion Award and the 2011 Achievement in Agriculture Award.

Taylor Meana -
Nineteen-year-old Taylor Meana of Dorchester is a 2011 graduate of Waukon High School. Her parents are Martha and Dale Day of Waukon. She has plans to attend college to obtain a degree in Human Services, wanting to use her personality, intelligence and experience to "guide others along this journey called life."
Taylor is involved as a volunteer at Kitchen Table CSA, organic and foraged foods. She also works at Wings Supper Club in Dorchester and at Upper Iowa Resort and Rental, Dorchester. She loves to ride her bike about 10 miles every week, and enjoys poetry, both reading it and using her creativity in writing it. Taylor believes that the best honor that she has ever received is that of helping others from her own life experience.

McKayla Stock -
McKayla Stock, 16, is the daughter of Kent and Rhonda Stock of Waukon and will be entering her junior year at Waukon High School this fall. She has future plans to attend a four-year college to major in Nursing or Physical Therapy.
McKayla's school activities include volleyball, basketball, track and softball, as well as choir, the "W" Club, and being a member of the Student Council. She has attained the Academic Honor Roll all four semesters of her high school career so far.
Her involvement in Future Farmers of America (FFA) has earned her the Star Greenhand Award, which is given to the student who shows the most leadership and personal growth. In 4-H, McKayla enjoys currently serving as president of the Clover Chasers 4-H Club and co-president of the Allamakee County 4-H County Council.
McKayla is also involved in dance, and she enjoys babysitting, riding horses, being on the farm, helping others, and hanging out with friends and family.