Six local 4-H members are vying for the title of Huntington County 4-H Fair Queen for 2022.
The winner will be crowned on July 15.
Some of the activities begin July 9 and it ends July 28.
The contestants this year are
Audrie Bowman
Audrie Bowman is the daughter of Julie Bowman Scher, Matthew Scher, and the late Brent Bowman.
She is an eight year 4-H member and is president of the Neighborhood Worker and Farmer Lads 4-H Club, as well as president of 4-H Junior Leaders.
Bowman was the vice president for her junior year at Huntington North High School (HNHS) and was elected 2023 class president for her upcoming senior year. She has also been a part of Top 25 at HNHS all three years.
She is involved in Huntington North Rotary, National honors Society, Huntington north Riley Dance marathon team and president of 4-H Junior Leaders. She is also a player on the varsity volleyball team and works at Huntington Dental Office.
Apart from her dedication to school and her community, she is a daughter, granddaughter, niece, friend, and sister. These labels will always be the most important to her, for they are the people who know her and love her the most.
After high school, Bowman plans to attend IU to study biology before transferring to IUPUI dental program to become a dentist.
Emma Haupert
Emma Haupert is the daughter of Shawn and Michelle Haupert.
She is a ten year 4-H member of the Barnyard Brigade. Her main projects in 4-H have been swine, goats, cattle, sewing, gardening, rabbits, and chickens. Throughout her years in 4-H she has learned responsibility, time management skills, goal setting, dedication, and hard work.
She just completed her senior year at HNHS and plans to attend Purdue Fort Wayne to study business and finance.
Haupert is currently a FFA member at Huntington North, an active 4-H member, and an Indiana Junior Swine Circuit (IJSC) member.
She now has the opportunity to travel to states across the nation where she is able to display her talent and show her swine year-round.
Katelyn McMillan
Katelyn McMillan is the daughter of Aaron and Paula McMillan.
McMillan is a nine-year member of the Huntington County 4-H. Within her clubs, she has served as treasurer and secretary, been involved in static projects including scrapbook, child development, and garden. She shows sheep, goats, and pigs competing on the county, circuit, state, and national levels. In addition to 4-H, she is highly involved with FFA, serving as Chapter and District President, and participates in many competitions and leadership events.
McMillian is actively involved in Southern Wells Community Church Youth group and helps at the Bread of Life Food Pantry in Warren. Withing her school, she has been a class representative and class vice president through the student council, a member of Sunshine Society, national Honors Society, and Spanish club, as well as a member of the Varsity Cross Country and Track team for the past three years.
She is ranked in the top 10% of her class and will be graduating with Academic and Technical honors in 2023. She plans to attend Purdue university to study an agricultural area.
Elise Neher
Elise Neher is the daughter of Rob and Deb Neher.
She is a seven year 4-H member and member of Junior Leaders and president of Canine Capers.
Her 4-h projects include garden, cat and dog posters, poultry, rabbits, cats and this year she is adding goats. Her favorite 4-H project is training and showing her dog, Brandy who she has gone to State Fair with for many years.
Neher is a freshman at Canterbury Highschool, where she goes on an academic scholarship. She is involved in track and field, club volleyball, and speech and debate teams doing the event congress.
Her hobbies are riding bikes, working with her animals, reading baking, and swimming. She enjoys hanging out with her friends and family doing fun activities together.
Neher hopes to major in political science, chemical engineering or agricultural engineering and join the Airforce as an officer, following in her dad’s footsteps.
Riley Richardson
Riley Richardson is the daughter of Eric Richardson and Kate Baird.
She is a ten-year member of the Wayne Township Future Farmers 4-H Club. She has been involved in the beef project and beef starter calf project all ten years, the goat project for five years, and has completed projects in cake decorating and sewing.
Her favorite memory has always been showmanship, and she is very grateful to have been awarded the showmanship award seven times for her beef project. Her most memorable life lesson is that hard work and dedication pays off, not only in the show ring but in all aspects of her life.
Richardson graduated as a junior from Fairfield Junior Senior High School in June of 2021 with Academic honors, finishing top 10 of her class. While in high school, she was an active member of the FFA serving both treasurer and chapter president and was a National honor Society member for all three years.
She is currently attending Purdue University, West Lafayette studying Agricultural Education. There she is in the Stewart Cooperative where she is serving as the recruitment chair as well as the Executive Director of Scholarship for the Purdue Cooperative Council.
Abagayle Caitlin Wright
Abagayle Caitlin Wright is the daughter of Wilbur and Sarah Wright.
She is a nine-year member of the We Raise Em’ Best 4-H Club.She is an upcoming senior at HNHS where she is involved in the National Honor Society, the Distinguished Honors program for three years, Huntington North FFA Chapter where she has served as a chapter officer for the past two years and she is representing the District 6 FFA where she serves as co-Vice President.
In her free time Wright enjoys acting at the Pulse Opera House, where she has been in eight productions and plays for the Warren Softball League. She is involved in the Warren Church of Christ where she attends WCC Students on Sunday evenings and assists with the kids during Sunday morning church once a month.
