9 candidates prepare for Peony Pageant

Independent staff and submitted information

The 2021 Peony Pageant, originally to take place in April, was cancelled and rescheduled when some state-ordered mandates were lifted and revised.  

In order to crown a queen and award scholarships, this year’s contestants will be competing at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 5, in the S.F. Goedde Building gymnasium. Per committee and pageant rules and regulations, the contestants will be scored by a panel of judges. 

Each year, the Peony Festival Pageant Committee sends area schools in Van Wert, Paulding, Mercer, Allen, and Putnam counties applications to submit one senior candidate to represent their school in the pageant. Every school’s selection process is different, but all candidate selections are made solely by the area schools. 

Once all candidates have been submitted to the Pageant Committee, they are scored on a preliminary essay and preliminary interview conducted by a panel of three judges. Preliminary took place in person on March 9. 

All scoring is confidential and maintained by the pageant auditor Rick Sealscott, CPA. Candidates compete for scholarship money, paid directly to the college of choice or the individual, if they are attending a military academy or signing with a company for employment.  

Scholarship winnings include the Queen scholarship of  $1,200, first runner-up scholarship of $800, second runner-up scholarship of $600, talent winner scholarship of $400, Miss Congeniality scholarship of $250, $100 Miss Photogenic scholarship (sponsored by Amanda and Jason Richey), and Community Involvement scholarship of $250 (sponsored by the Peony Festival Committee. 

Candidates competing for the title this year include:

Remi Fokine, the daughter of Timothy and Megan Fokine, is representing Parkway High School. Her siblings include brothers Lance, Reese, and twins Skyler and Colin. Miss Fokine is highly active with school activities and clubs. She is a member of the National Honor Society, is Student Government Class representative, is a member of the Parkway band and choir, the District 3 choir, Drama Club, and Pep Club.  She plays softball, Vipers softball, is the Jen Schro (Team USA) catcher, and a Girl Scout. She has taken voice lessons with David VanTilburg. 

When Miss Fokine is not playing sports, she is busy cheering on her Parkway Panthers as a football and basketball cheerleader. She is a member of the Chattanooga Zion Lutheran Church Youth Group, where her family attends church. 

Following graduation, Miss Fokine will be attending Malone University, majoring in biology on the pre-med track, and pursuing ASL education at the local Deaf Center.

When asked why she would like to be Queen Jubilee XLVI, Miss Fokine’s answer centered around her wish to connect further with her community, as she has always enjoyed volunteering. 

“Being Queen would allow me to develop a positive relationship within the community.”

Miss Fokine will be singing in the talent competition. 

Megan Dearth, the daughter of Eric and Melissa Dearth, is representing Paulding High School. As a student at PHS, she is involved with the Science Olympiad and Engineering Team, is a member of the National Honor Society, serves as a class officer, and is a member of Student Council, as well as holding an office on the Council.  Miss Dearth is also in the Paulding High School band, playing saxophone, and is the field commander. She has participated in all Drama Department productions during her high school career. Her other talents include playing piano and dance. Miss Dearth is a also student at the Defiance Dance Studio, where she is a member of the Jazz and Tap teams, as well as the Ballet Company.  

Following graduation, Miss Dearth will be attending Ohio Northern University, majoring in management/arts administration.

When asked why she would like to be Queen Jubilee XLVI, Megan wrote: “I would like to be Queen Jubilee XLVI because of my previous experience with being a part of the pageant when I was in kindergarten, as a flower girl.”  

She also stated that she looks forward to the opportunity of being Queen Jubilee, to be the community representative of a decades-old community tradition. “All the skills acquired will help me in my future career as a theatre’s business manager,” she added. 

Miss Dearth will be singing in the talent competition.

Janie Trejo, the daughter of Kristi and Eugene Trejo, will be representing Van Wert High School. Her siblings are Jacob and Julia. As a student at Van Wert Hight School, Miss Trejo is very active in Beta Club, Service Pack, Spanish Club, National Honor Society, band, choir, cheerleading, and musical productions, and is a Junior Rotarian. She attends Lifehouse Church, where she is a member of the youth group. Miss Trejo has been a student at Kim Hohman’s Danceworks for 15 years. Following graduation, she will be attending the University of Findlay, studying echo cardiography.  

Janie will be clogging in the talent competition.        

Jayda Stutz, the daughter of Lisa Menke, is representing Vantage Career Center. She has three siblings, Sophie, Sage, and Conner. In school, Miss Stutz studies auto body and is involved as a Student Ambassador.  She loves to work on cars with her grandpa and has spent countless hours with him restoring a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, which is where she discovered her passion for restoring cars. Miss Stutz also works as a STNA aide at Vancrest. When asked why she would like to be Queen Jubilee XLVI, she said: “When I think of Queen Jubilee, I picture a strong, courageous, independent woman that leads others in the right direction. I believe that I embody all the characteristics it takes to be the next queen.”  

She would also like to be queen to inspire other young women to follow their dreams regardless of stereotypes. Miss Stutz has been honored in her field by being offered a “career signing” with Braun Industries, which she has accepted. 

In the talent competition, she will be singing.

Emma Crosby, the daughter of Chad and Angela Crosby, is representing Wayne Trace High School. She has three siblings, Ethan, Evan, and Ella. Miss Crosby participates on the Wayne Trace softball and golf teams, while ther other school activities include being 2019’s Youth Tour candidate and 2020’s Girls’ State delegate. She is employed at the Vancrest Health Care Center in Payne as a dietary aide. When not at school, Miss Crosby is highly active in her community, volunteering at the Our Daily Bread soup kitchen.  She has also been a student at Kim Hohman’s Danceworks for 10 years. Miss Crosby and her family attend First Presbyterian Church in Van Wert, where she serves as a Vacation Bible School teacher.  

When asked why she would like to be Queen Jubilee XLVI, she reminisced about watching the Peony Festival Grand Parade and admiring the queens and their courts. She had many relatives who were part of past festivals in many roles. 

“I would be upholding the tradition in my family of being included in this festival,” she said, adding, “being Queen Jubilee, I would be representing my community, along with my school.”  

Following graduation, she will be attending Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, majoring in environmental studies.

In the talent competition, Miss Crosby will be dancing.

Bailey Gregory, representing Crestview High School, is the daughter of Tammy and Mark Gregory. She has three siblings, Calli, Kaci, and Lexi.  In school, Miss Gregory is a three-sport athlete, participating in volleyball, basketball, and softball.  She is also in FCCLA, FCA, and Student Council.  

Miss Gregory is a member of both Redeemer Lutheran Church and Calvary Evangelical Church’s youth groups. Outside school, she is employed at Vancrest Health Care Center in Van Wert and at Lincoln Ridge Farms.  

When asked why she would like to be Queen Jubilee XLVI, she noted that, not only is this about the opportunity to win scholarship money, but it’s also about meeting new friends, participating in service projects, and making a mark in people’s lives. 

“Not many people get this opportunity,” she said. “I look forward to representing my school, my family, and my friends.  I am very thankful for this opportunity.”   

Miss Gregory will be attending the University of Northwest Ohio, majoring in business administration. 

 In the talent competition, she will be presenting the song “I Can Only Imagine” in sign language to honor her Grandma Kathy.  

Alexa Chung, the daughter of Angela Chung, is Delphos Jefferson’s candidate. At school, she participates in track, soccer, choir, show choir, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Student Council, National Honor Society, is Yearbook Club photographer, is a student aide for high school teachers, and is also a reader for the third grade. In addition to her high school studies, Miss Chung also takes full-time college classes.  

She enjoys volunteering very much and attends Delphos First Assembly Church, where she teaches Children’s Church. She is also a member of Teens for Christ.  

Following graduation, Miss Chung will be attending college, majoring in business.  

When asked why she would like to be Queen Jubilee XLVI, she said: “I will be a good ambassador for the Queen Jubilee, I have the qualities that Queen Jubilee should have to not only represent themselves, but to represent Van Wert County.”  

Miss Chung will be singing in the talent competition. 

Lillian Hempfling, the daughter of Chuck and Susan Hempfling, is the Delphos St. John candidate. She has three siblings, Kyle, Alicia, and Meagan. Miss Hempfling is a member of Student Council, National Honor Society, is a basketball and football cheerleader, and participates in competitive cheering. Other activities include dancing at the Dancer by Gina studio, being a 4-H Junior Fair Board member, and being crowned the 2020 Junior Fair Queen. She also interns at the Delphos Fire Department.  

Miss Hempfling’s family attend St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Delphos, where she is a Mass server and eucharistic. Her reply to why she would like to be Queen Jubilee XLVI was that she was her sister’s little princess at 5 years old and could feel passion from the contestants and knew she wanted to compete for the queen’s title. 

“Being a queen is being a role model, a walking representation of the event,” she noted.

When she graduates, Miss Hempfling will be attending Ohio State University in Lima, majoring in biochemistry to become an anesthesiologist.  

She will be dancing in the talent competition.  

Dylann Carey, the daughter of Leigh and Randall Carey, is Lincolnview High School’s candidate. She has one brother, Kade ,and three sisters, Frankie, Josephine, and Georgy. She and her family attend Zion Christian Church, where she is part of, and helps with, the youth groups and the nursery. At Lincolnview, she is the FFA vice president, Student Council president, National Honor Society president, vice president of the Class of 2021, and Beta Club treasurer. Other school activities include Spanish Club, varsity cross country, varsity golf, varsity track, Drama Club, and participation in the CEO program. She was a CEO intern at Van Wert Vision for Drs. Bidlack and Karcher.  

When asked why she would like to be Queen Jubilee XLVI, Dylann wrote: “The Peony Festival has made an impact on my life from an early age.” 

She said she discovered some of the history of the Peony Festival’s historic side while on a school field trip to the Van Wert County Historical Society, where she found her grandmother’s picture gracing the cover of the 1960 program booklet. This started her dream of being Queen Jubilee.  

Following graduation, Miss Carey will be attending Ohio State University, where she will study optometry.  

In the talent competition, she will be singing.