Teens vie for Dairy Princess title
Three local teenagers will compete for the title of Dairy Princess during the District 1 Dairy Princess contest May 10 at the River Lodge in Fortuna.
This year's contestants are Grace Scilacci and Mariah Bravo, both of Fortuna, and Talyn Hodson of Crescent City.
Scilacci is the daughter of Bryan and Jennifer Scilacci. She is a senior at Fortuna High School and plans to attend College of the Redwoods to become a dental hygienist. She grew up working on her father's dairy, Scilacci Dairy Partnership, where she still feeds calves, milks cows and is involved with the field work. She is an active member of the Future Farmers of America program, where she serves as the community service chairman and previously served as the chapter secretary.
She has been a member of the varsity girls volleyball team, varsity girls basketball team and varsity track and field.
Bravo is the daughter of Lance and Laurie Bravo and is a junior at Fortuna Union High School. Her grandparents on both sides had dairies and she now raises and shows dairy heifers at the Humboldt County Fair as a member of the Fortuna High Future Farmers of America chapter. She is on her school's varsity softball team and varsity soccer
team. She volunteers at the Cuddeback School Halloween Carnival, Fortuna High School Youth Softball Camp and Fortuna High School Third Grade Agriculture Day.
Hodson is the daughter of Michelle and Richard Wetherell. She is a senior at Del Norte High School and plans to attend College of the Redwoods to study forensics. She is an employee at the Alexandre Dairy Farm Store and grew up on her stepfather's dairy, Wetherell Ranch. She is a member of her school's Future Farmers of America chapter, the Del Norte 4-H Club and is on the yearbook staff for Del Norte High School.
The teen crowned as Dairy Princess will represent the dairy industry in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, where she will serve the area as an ambassador for the dairy industry with various audiences. The newly selected princess and her alternate will participate in mandatory training, provided by the California Milk Advisory Board, where they will receive professional development coaching.
To learn more about the program or to purchase tickets for the contest, contact Mary Ann Renner at 707496-1501 or dmarenner@ frontiernet.net.