The 12 candidates for the Queen of the Snows include a 21-year-old University of St. Thomas student, a 26-year-old single mom and a 54-year-old widow. They are a diverse group but united in their passion to become part of the tradition and history of the St. Paul Winter Carnival’s Royal Family. Let us introduce you:
Stephanie Anderson, 23, Eden Prairie, sponsored by Hamernick Decorating. Anderson grew up in Stillwater and usually spends winters working as a snowboard instructor at Afton Alps. Right now, though, the recent college graduate is living with her parents on the other end of the metro, working as a waitress and taking time to think about her next move. She hopes it will include being part of a wintry royal family. “I love the winter, the cold and the snow,” she says.
Katie Bradford, 26, St. Paul, sponsored by American Burger Bar. Bradford’s 4-year-old daughter is deep into the Princess Phase and is thrilled her mother might get to wear a tiara. “Whenever she sees me now, she says, ‘Hello, my Princess Mommy,’ ” Bradford says. The single mom and wholesale perfume company manager decided to take part in the pageant as a way to reconnect with her femininity after undergoing a complete hysterectomy. “What could be more girly?” she said. “It’s also a way to stand up and be a role model to young women: No matter what life throws in your face, stand up and be proud you’re a woman.”
Pam Campbell, 54, Hopkins, sponsored by Schroeder Milk. The widow, who grew up in Marine on St. Croix, is competing for the crown as a way to re-engage with life. Also, she says, “It was on my bucket list.” As a mother, a massage therapist and a Walgreens senior beauty adviser, she feels protective of her fellow candidates, many of whom are in their early 20s. “They’re kind of like the daughters I never had,” says the mom of one grown son.
Madalyn Dosch, 23, St. Paul, sponsored by the Rice Street Festival. Dosch is a human resources coordinator at WolfNet Technologies. The daughter of a small-engine mechanic in western Wisconsin, she was about 5 when she got her first snowmobile, a Kitty Cat. “I was so afraid of it at first!” she says. Dosch was Miss Osceola 2003-04 and Miss Rice Street 2009-10. She lives in Lowertown with a pug named Prince. They like to go to the St. Paul Farmers’ Market. “There’s a hummus stand there that I really love,” she says.
Stacy Eckman, 24, St. Paul, sponsored by Owakihi Inc. She is a resident support counselor at Owakihi, supporting developmentally disabled adults and their families. She grew up in Blaine, where she was Miss Blaine 2004, but she has a special memory of the St. Paul Winter Carnival: As a kid, she remembers when her family had a tiny chunk of the 1992 ice palace. “We kept it in our freezer for about a year,” Eckman says. “It was so awesome.”
Kelli Hovland, 24, Eagan, sponsored by the Goddard School and Dakota Premium Foods. She is an assistant toddler teacher at Goddard, an experience that has pretty much prepared her for anything. “We had 19 toddlers in our room today,” Hovland says. “They keep you on your toes. They keep me grounded!” The former hockey cheerleader grew up in Cottage Grove. One of her first memories of the Winter Carnival is freezing as she rode with the Vulcan Krewe in their firetruck. Korbin Kvaas, 22, Elk River, sponsored by Lorenz Bus Service. The Hamline University graduate student works in behavior intervention for the Anoka-Hennepin School District. After she earns her master’s degree, law school is the next goal: Kvaas wants to work as a lawyer who advocates for children with special needs. Kvaas grew up in Osseo and was Miss Maple Grove 2006. Sara Lindberg, 26, Hugo, sponsored by White Bear Country Inn and Rudy’s Redeye Grill. She works as an account specialist at Medtronic, and she’s a Mary Kay consultant, too. She is also a new homeowner, having recently purchased a townhome in Hugo. In the winter, Lindberg bundles up her dog, Winston the Westie, in a little red coat. “But he refuses to walk if I put his boots on,” she says. Megan Lohse, 22, Circle Pines, sponsored by McCullough & Associates and Burke & Thomas. Lohse is a paralegal and a Metro State University student in the criminal justice program. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she wants to attend law school and eventually work as a prosecutor. Lohse’s grandmother, Doris Turk, was a Winter Carnival princess in the 1950s, and Lohse is the 2010 Miss Inver Grove Heights. When she takes off the tiara, Lohse likes to go fishing or attend monster truck rallies with her 14-year-old brother.
Christa Niznik, 23, St. Paul, sponsored by HealthSource Chiropractic and Progressive Rehab. Niznik recently graduated cum laude from the University of St. Thomas and is a marketing director at HealthSource. She was crowned Miss Fridley 2006 and was a 2009 Rice Festival princess. It’s not surprising she wants to take the St. Paul crown next: “When my family went to one of the ice castles, we got some pictures blown up and they’ve been in our family room ever since,” she says. Bridget Rissmann, 21, St. Paul, sponsored by the Town and Country Club. This University of St. Thomas student is glad to be home after spending part of her childhood in California and Florida: “I especially missed winter around Christmas,” Rissmann says. “It was weird to see palm trees and no snow.” Her parents are back home, too, and pleased that their daughter is continuing the festival legacy: “They met at the Aquatennial,” Rissmann says. “My dad was driving their floats and my mom was the manager of that department.” Rissmann is studying public relations and hopes to make a career working for nonprofits. She is currently serving as an intern for Greater Twin Cities United Way. Heather Tollefson, 22, Cambridge, sponsored by Crowne Plaza of St. Paul. She is a senior at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where she is studying criminology and psychology. An intern at the Arrowhead Regional Corrections facility in St. Louis County, she plans to move back to the Twin Cities and is pursuing a career as a juvenile probation officer. “I love working with kids and seeing their potential,” she says. She was Miss East Bethel in 2007-08 and a St. Francis Princess in 2004-05.
Molly Guthrey can be reached at 651-228-5505.
Copyright 2011 Pioneer Press.