2022 Clark County Fairest of the Fair Candidates: Malana Gurney

Monday, August 1st, 2022 -- 11:00 AM

The Clark County Fair is right around the corner and that means it’s time to crown a new Fairest of the Fair.

There are four candidates vying for the title this year. Malana Gurney, of Neillsville, is being sponsored by Steve Knoop Trucking LLC. Malana discussed where she’s going to school this fall and what she’d like to do when she graduates.

"I'm going to be a Freshman at UW-Stevens Point this fall. I'm going to be majoring in early childhood education, but I want to get certified, while still in college, to be a child life specialist. That's my primary plan. Secondary, would be an early childhood teacher. Anywhere from birth to 1st grade. That would be my ideal window."

"I'm also planning on taking all of the ASL classes that are offered at Stevens Point because I volunteered at the children's hospital last year, during the school year, and I noticed that a lot of children are either nonverbal or hard of hearing and none of the child life specailists at Marshfield were fluent in sign language, so they had to call in an interpertor a lot."

"I thought that would make the kids feel more comfortable if I knew it because they already have a bond with you. That's what you're there for. So, I thought that would be a good idea. So, I recently decided that I'm also going to be doing that." 

She also discussed the extra-curricular activities she was involved in while in High School.

"I was in choir. I was vice president of the whole choir department senior year. I've been in show choir since I was a freshman. I really loved doing that. I went to Flordia, twice, as a soloist for them."

"I was also heavily involved in musical theatre. The most recent production that the Neillsville Area Players put on, I had a lead role in it. I was Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia."

"I was in volleyball for a while, but I had to quite because of health reasons. That's pretty much it. A lot of music department. That was where I strived!"

She also discussed why she decided to run for the Fairest of the Fair.

"I was in the Miss Neillsville Program and I just gave up my crown for that like two months ago. And I really, really like the volunterism of it. Especially since I love kids. Seeing them look up to you is very, very much something that I very much admire and enjoy."

"And I want to promote voluntersim through the county and through communities and the way to do that, in my view of it, is to get youth to see you doing it and then strive to be like you. That's how I started. I always looked at Miss Neillsville and Miss Clark County as big role models for me. Now I want to do that for other little girls and boys too."

This year’s candidates will replace the outgoing court of Jaidyn Teschner of Loyal as Fairest of the Fair, Marie Jorgensen of Neillsville as 1st Attendant, and Jayda Harris of Neillsville as 2nd Attendant.

The Fairest of the Fair Coronation is taking place on Wednesday, August 10th at 7pm at the Clark County Fairgrounds. The Clark County Fair runs from Wednesday, August 10th-Sunday, August 14th. Make sure you tune in tomorrow to hear from the next Fairest of the Fair candidate.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.