Kristin Strubel excited to "interact" with community in Fair Queen contest

Kristin Strubel

Fair Queen Fast Facts

Name: Kristin Strubel

Grade: 12th
Club: Interact
Escort: Benjamin Rhoades
Favorite Fair Food: Fried Oreos
Favorite Fair Location: Funnel Cake Stand


After school, Kristin Strubel walks briskly into her interview. Her hands are full of school supplies, but she does not appear overwhelmed. Strubel leaves the school grounds for a work study, so she had gotten stuck in terrible traffic, but she still sits down with a slightly eager grin and starts answering questions right away.


Kristin Strubel has always found volunteer work important. Many people join Interact Club to earn easy community service hours, but to Kristin, it actually means something. It is easy to see how she climbed the leadership ladder to become the Vice President of Interact. Strubel talks about her club with an obvious passion. 

"I help out with as many Interact functions as possible and go on service trips," she says with a warm inflection to her voice. 

The service trip she went on last year was to West Virginia. She learned a lot on the trip, describing it as "pretty life-changing." Kristin also participates in the Ski and Snowboarding Club and Outdoor Club, which go hand in hand, in her opinion. She just loves being involved in school and community activities.


There were three people that led the club last year, including Kristin. The choice was between her and another girl. The two talked about it and decided together that Strubel was the best candidate. Of course, no one had any objections.
Strubel posing with friends during a service project.
When it comes to being chosen as the fair queen, Kristin is most worried about representing her club well. She completed the essay portion of the contest quickly, claiming it was the easy part, but answering questions and appearing stable on stage are not her biggest strengths. 

"My biggest goal is just to get through it without panicking and stuttering because I have some stage fright... So many people come to watch, so it's very nerve-wracking," she says.

She remarks on the contest's similarities to a pageant and the poise with which contestants must act at all times, right down to their appearance. Despite the nerves that Kristin may be feeling, she exudes quiet confidence.


Kristin has always felt close to the fair and looks forward to going every year with her friends and family. 

"It's a tradition, especially growing up in Lancaster," she observes. "It's not one of the fanciest traditions, but it's definitely where the whole community comes together..." 

Strubel volunteers to work the booths for Interact, but she especially loved working at the funnel cake stand. It's her second favorite fair food, right behind fried Oreos.


In the future, Kristin plans on attending college and earning her bachelor's degree in psychology. She then wants to continue her schooling in law school and become a lawyer.


If Kristin Strubel became fair queen, she would definitely feel overwhelmed at first by all of the responsibilities that come with the title. "But it would be a great honor to represent my community like that and especially represent Interact. We're such a big club and organization that... since the fair is something [that our club is greatly involved with], I think that this would be a nice correspondence." 

The loyalty that Kristin feels towards her club is plain to see. She speaks easily about Interact, like she does not even need to think about her answers. They just effortlessly come forward.


Kristin laughs and agrees that volunteering is good for the soul and the heart. Even as the interview comes to a close and she packs up her things to go to her sports match, Kristin selflessly volunteers to give the interviewer a ride home.

--Lillian Murr, LSNews.org School News Editor

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