The new queen for the Johnson County fair hopes to inspire young girls the same way that previous fair queens were role models for her.
Hartlee Chadwell was crowned as the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair Queen on Sunday night. Chadwell, who is 19, graduated from Franklin Community High School last year and recently finished her first year at Indiana University Purdue University Columbus, where she is studying nursing with the goal of becoming a pediatric nurse.
“I always looked up to the fair queens since I was a little girl,” Chadwell said.
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Chadwell only got about three hours of sleep on Sunday night, as the excitement of becoming the fair queen hadn’t quite sunk in.
“I laid there and couldn’t fall asleep,” Chadwell said.
As a young girl at the fair, Chadwell recalled always been mesmerized by the fair queens and looking up to them. When her time came to take part in the competition, she wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity, Chadwell said.
She competed last year and didn’t win, but that experience gave her the confidence to succeed this time around, she said.
As the fair queen, her responsibilities range from assisting with judging competitions to taking part in events and being out and visible around the fairgrounds.
“I want this week to go by slow so I can soak all of it in,” she said.
Chadwell started her first day as the fair queen by assisting with judging livestock competitions, handing out awards and posing for pictures with winners.
She was a 10-year 4-H’er last year, and knows firsthand all of the hard work and dedication that goes into preparing for the many competitions. While in 4-H, she raised chickens and competed in gardening, sewing and woodcraft competitions, Chadwell said.
“I get what they are going through,” Chadwell said.
Her time in 4-H helped shape her into the person she is today, giving her opportunities to serve her community as well as encouraging her to be more outgoing, Chadwell said.
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Name: Hartlee Chadwell
Age: 19
Parents: Terry and Roxane Chadwell
From: Franklin
College: Indiana University Purdue University Columbus
Major: Nursing
Career goals: Become a pediatric nurse
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The 2018 Miss Johnson County Fair Queen Contest took place Sunday. Here are the results:
Fair queen: Hartlee Chadwell
First runner-up: Morgan Hogue
Second runner-up: Abby Booe
Third runner-up: Kendal Zanzalari
Fourth runner-up: Kierstin Snyder
Miss Congeniality: Hartlee Chadwell
People’s choice: Kendal Zanzalari
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