Julia Stillwell wanted to make sure she got one message out after she was named the winner of the 2023 Clinton County Fair Queen Pageant Saturday night at the Edward Jones 4-H Community Building.
“Whatever you do, go outside your comfort zone and try something new just like I did,” said Stillwell.
Stillwell was named of the Clinton County Fair, which runs July 8-15, over four other candidates. She was also named the winner of the Best Interview section of the pageant.
Avery Harris was the First Runner-up and Miss Congeniality winner while Bailey Blacker was named Second-Up.
Katie Dunderman was also named the Formal Award winner and Larissa Butler won the Best Dressed Award winner in describing what she likes to do and wants to.
Stillwell, who graduated from Clinton Prairie, will now attend Purdue to study Elementary Education, with a minor in English Language Learners. She was a 10-year 4-H member with the Jackson Willing Workers. She owns her own business — a boutique called Turquoise Blossom.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to walk around this fairground with a crown of my head just like all the other queens I gotten to see before,” said Stillwell. “I’ve always looked up to everybody else. So I hope I can influence some other younger girls to try the queen contest when its there time.”
This was also the final pageant for Kody Miller as director.
“My daughter will be starting4-H next year,” said Miller. “With her being involved in showing livestock already, we just decided for my family that I take a smaller role and still help the director and assist her because it has been a labor of love.”
Miller has been the director of the pageant since 2015.