Young Woman from Owatonna Named a Finalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way

The finalists for the 73rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way have been announced, and one of the finalists is from Owatonna!

What is Princess Kay of the Milky Way

Princess Kay of the Milky Way is an annual competition for young women in Minnesota who are age 18-24. They must have a direct and active connection to the dairy industry.

Candidates have to have won their county's Dairy Princess competitions earlier this year. Then, this past weekend, they gathered in Minneapolis to compete for a finalist position.

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To compete to be a finalist, they had to submit an application, participate in a professional interview, prepare and deliver a speech, and participate in a mock media interview. Throughout the weekend, they also got to network and be a part of leadership workshops.

At the end, 10 were selected as finalists, one of them being Jena Hanson from Owatonna!

Young Woman From Owatonna Up for Princess Kay of the Milky Way

Jena will now move on to the final competition, which will take place at the end of August. The Wednesday before the state fair, the 73rd Princess Kay will be crowned at a big celebration.

In the announcement video shared on the Princess Kay Facebook page, the current Princess Kay, Malorie, says that Jena loves to snowboard and fish. She's worked for dairy farmers in the Steele County area and is currently working on her Bachelor's in Dairy Management at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls.

Whoever is selected as Princess Kay will serve as an ambassador for the dairy industry over the next year. And yes, she will get her head carved out of butter during the state fair.