Three Local Dairy Princesses Churn Toward the Title of Princess Kay of the Milky Way

(KNSI) — Three central Minnesota Dairy Princesses have been chosen to compete for the title of 71st Princess Kay of the Milky Way.

Selena Corona represents Stearns County. Corona works on a local dairy farm and as a vet tech at a local clinic. She is an animal lover who is studying animal sciences and agriculture communications and marketing at the University of Minnesota. When she’s not working or studying, she likes bowling and cooking.

Paige Gerads is from Morrison County and loves playing softball in the summer. She says spending time milking in the barn with her dad is a favorite memory she will always cherish. Dairy taught Gerads to provide and care for others, something she will carry into her future career in child and protective services after graduation from Minnesota State University Mankato.

Grace Woitala, also of Stearns County, is the third generation on her family’s farm. She can often be found on the tractor making hay and high quality feed. She aspires to be an agronomist but has quite a green thumb as she tends to more than 50 houseplants. She is double majoring in agribusiness and precision agriculture at Ridgewater College.

The three will join the other seven finalists to compete for the title of 71st Princess Kay of the Milky Way the night before the Minnesota State Fair starts. Candidates are judged on their general dairy knowledge, communication skills and enthusiasm for promoting dairy. Finalists applied and then had to be interviewed, deliver a speech, and participate in a mock media interview.

First up in their duties is promoting June Dairy Month.

The titleholder will serve as the goodwill ambassador for the dairy industry in Minnesota. Regardless of whether they earn the crown, they all get to have their likenesses carved in a 90 pound block of butter during the fair’s run.

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