MENDOTA – The 15 Sweet Corn Festival Queen Pageant hopefuls have been practicing stage presence and answering impromptu questions with pageant emcees, Don and Karen Goy in preparation for the Friday, Aug. 9 pageant.  

The pageant will begin at 7:30 p.m. on the First State Bank Stage set up on U.S. 34 downtown. The Mendota Chamber reminds everyone to bring their lawn chairs and enjoy the evening of fun and entertainment “under the stars.”

Now let’s introduce three more of this year’s contestants for Sweet Corn Festival Queen.

The Mendota Lions Club has selected Larkin O’Donnell as its queen candidate.  She is the daughter of Mike and Nicole O’Donnell of Mendota. She has blue eyes and brown hair, and is 5-4.

O’Donnell is a May graduate of Mendota High School where she was an honor roll student and a member of student council for two years. She also took part in sports, playing softball for four years and serving as captain her senior year. She also participated in volleyball and basketball for all four years. Upon graduation, she was the recipient of the Kilmartin Award.

O’Donnell plans to attend Waubonsee Community College this fall, where she will be playing volleyball. She is seeking a Master’s Degree in business management. After Waubonsee, she will transfer to a four-year university with a future goal of being a human researcher.

This summer you will find her working at Becks gas station making ice cream for customers. She will also be playing volleyball and spending time with her family and friends.

O’Donnell likes to play sports and go to the gym. She also enjoys going on shopping trips. In her free time, she loves to read and ride her bike, too. Taking her dog for walks around Mendota is something she especially enjoys doing.

She added that she is kind and funny around her family and friends.

Myah Boelk has been selected by the Mendota Golf Club as its queen pageant candidate. She is the daughter of Dave and Jenny Boelk of Mendota. She stands 5-4 and has blonde hair and blue eyes.

Boelk graduated from Mendota High School this May where she was a member of the Student Council, Spanish Club, Math Team and Interact Club. She also played volleyball for four years and was a captain. She was also an eight-semester honor student and a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society. Outside of MHS, Boelk spent seven years playing club volleyball.

Boelk plans to attend North Central College in the fall seeking her Doctorate in kinesiology. While attending school, she will also be a part of the women’s volleyball team. Her future plans include graduating from North Central College and then transferring to Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville to earn her degree to become a physician’s assistant.

This summer you will find her working as a receptionist and activities aide at the Ottawa Pavilion where she interacts with the elderly residents and works the front desk. She also works at the Mendota Swimming Pool as a lifeguard. When she isn’t working, Boelk spends time with her family and friends. She also loves swimming and babysitting her cousins Paul and Frank.

Boelk added that she is very hardworking, outgoing and social.

The Mendota Fire Department has chosen Brooklynn Martin as its queen candidate. She is the daughter of Brad Martin and Tera Frazer of Mendota. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and stands 5-0.

Martin graduated from Mendota High School in May where she was an eight-semester honor roll student.

She plans to attend Illinois Valley Community College starting this summer and she is seeking an associate degree in social work. After IVCC, she plans to transfer to Illinois State University to receive her Bachelor’s in social work.

This summer you will find Martin working at Holy Cross where she is a daycare assistant. At her job, she helps organize activities for the kids and watches over them to ensure their safety. In addition, she will be taking an online class to get a jumpstart on her college career. She will also be babysitting and spending time with her friends and family.

Martin really enjoys going to the gym. She also loves spending time outside by swimming and taking walks. Her other interests include music and animals.

Martin commented that she a very outgoing, social and kind person.