Princess Kay finalist is Miss Teen Minnesota United States

By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com

Date Modified: 09/10/2012 2:55 PM

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NORWOOD YOUNG AMERICA, Minn. — Miss Teen Minnesota United States is a Princess Kay finalist.

Victoria Haler, 18, was crowned Miss Teen Minnesota United States in February, was selected a Princess Kay finalist in May, and graduated from Waconia High School in June.

Haler plans to continue her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she'll major in international studies and Spanish.

Haler admits she hasn't had much time to help on the farm as of late, but when she does she feeds calves, milks cows and cleans pens.

"All my friends think it is awesome I can milk a cow," Haler said.

Her father, Rick Haler, milks 75 to 80 registered Holsteins. Heifers are raised as replacements and bulls are sold as breeding stock.

She splits her time between her father's Norwood Young America farm and her mother's home in Waconia. Her mother, Connie Haasken, was a Princess Kay finalist in 1987. Her sister, Chaneen, was a Princess Kay finalist last year. Her younger sister, Jeni, will be a senior at Waconia High School next fall.

Haler grew up around the Princess Kay program as her mother used to run the program in Carver County. She participated in the county's dairy ambassador program in eighth grade and decided to run for county dairy princess this year as she is going to college out-of-state next year.

She's had one county dairy event thus far — delivering a dairy goodie basket to the first baby born in the county in June — and had a grocery story promotional event planned for June 8. Parades begin in July, Haler said.

She will miss 4th of July festivities as she will be in Washington, D.C. for the Miss Teen United States Pageant from July 3-8.

"It will be awesome to be in our nation's capitol on the Fourth of July," Haler said.

She has been in pageants since she was in sixth grade, competing in the National American Miss Pageant for three years, competing as Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen for one and earning second runner-up in the Miss Minnesota High School pageant both years she competed.

The Princess Kay competition isn't a pageant, Haler said. She was judged on a professional interview, speech and mock media interview. Her experience in pageants helped calm her nerves before going before the judges, she said.

Haler was the third finalist announced at the May event.

"I think I knew it was me when they talked about University of Wisconsin-Madison," she said.

Haler and fellow Carver County Dairy Princess Valerie Grimm were both selected as finalists.

She is looking forward to having her likeness carved in butter at the Minnesota State Fair. Her sister's butterhead is in the freezer now and has been on display at the county's Dairy Day Dinner in New Germany. It will be displayed when a group from Maryland visits the farm later this month. The butterhead rode in the backseat with her and Chaneen on the way to the dairy banquet.

"We might be looking into buying a new freezer," Haler said, because there isn't room for a second butterhead in the old one.