82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Hay 13, 2000
Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Does Balancing Act With Ease
Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Lori Connelly hails from a 125-cow, 500-cow dairy farm
in PA Furnace. This summer she plans to return to the farm to help her father when she
is not busy with dairy princess activities.
JAYNE SEBRIGHT
Lancaster Farming Staff
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) It was a last minute deci
sion for Pennsylvania Dairy
Princess Lori Connelly to run
for Centre County Dairy Prin
cess.
Both Lori and the Pennsylva
nia dairy industry have been
benefiting tremendously from
that last minute decision ever
since.
“I was a dairy maid for three
years, and I thought about be
coming dairy princess for a long
time,” said Connelly. “But I
wasn’t really sure if I should do
it this year because of just start
ing school.”
Lori, the daughter of Ronald
and Denise Connelly, is a fresh
man at the Pennsylvania State
University’s University Park
campus.
For most students, the fresh
man year is the most challeng
ing of their entire college career.
And Lori is balancing her
coursework, along with both
state and county dairy princess
activities AND extracurricular
activities in college and her com
munity.
“It’s challenging but not over
whelming,” said Lori. “I’ve
taken a light course load, but it’s
enough to keep me busy as a
freshman.”
The Connellys live on a dairy
in PA Furnance that Lori’s
father farms with his brother
Frank, Jr. They own 125 cows
and 500 acres. Lori’s mother
Denise works in Penn State’s
Agriculture Administration
office. Lori has a brother, Chris,
who is 22, and a sister, Keri, who
is 16.
Even though the farm is only
15 minutes away, Lori lives on
campus at Penn State in order to
get the full college experience.
“I wanted to experience being
on my own,” said Lori. “Living
on campus also helps me stay
focused. There’s always a lot of
distractions on the farm.”
Since Lori started school, she
hasn’t been able to help that
much on the farm. But, when
she does go home, she helps take
care of the calves, heifers, and
show animals. This summer Lori
is planning to work full time on
the farm when she is not out on
dairy princess assignments.
Although she did look into
other schools when she applied
for college, Lori always knew
she would end up at Penn State.
“You really can’t beat its dairy
science major,” said Lori.
Living in State College year
round helps Lori meet many of
in Centre County because a lot
of the state functions are held
here,” said Lori.
On the county level, Lori and
her court have finished up most
of the state incentive responsi
bilities. They are finishing up
the school appearances this
spring.
“My county alternate, Emily
Cioninger and I have 11 dairy
maids who help us with county
functions,” said Lori. “We have
a really great committee, and ev
eryone really helps me fulfill my
responsibilities.”
Lori will hand down her
county crown next month, and
she expects Centre County to
have two dairy princess contest
ants this year.
Lori has mixed emotions
about handing down her county
crown. Although she will miss
doing county activities, she is
looking forward to the remain
ing half of year as Pennsylvania
Dairy Princess.
“I am anxious to see someone
else get involved in the dairy
princess program,” said Lori
“And I am at a point where I
can look back on the last half of
year and decide what I want to
A freshman at Penn State, Lori balances school, extra
curricular activities, and dairy princess responsibilities
with grace. Living on campus helps her stay focused.
do tor the remaining part of my
reign.”
Lori has been all over the state
and into both Maryland and
New York with her state respon
sibilities. Some of the events she
has appeared at include breed
conventions, city marathons,
annual banquets, and dairy
shows.
“I am really looking forward
to the Governor’s Conference,
which is being held here in State
College on July 10,” said Lori.
“The Secretary of Agriculture
has promised us that the dairy
princesses could host a welcom
ing reception and serve milk
punch to showcase milk as
Pennsylvania’s official bever
age.”
Lori works with two state al
ternate dairy princesses,
Amanda Gilkinson and Rebecca
Kilgore, to fulfill state obliga
tions. “We have done some
things together, but we try to
split up the duties,” said Lori.
“We keep in touch with each
other through email and over
the phone.”
Lori also enjoys working with
Jan Harding, Pennsylvania
Dairy Princess Program and
Services program director, and
the state committee. “They
really do a lot on the scene and
behind the scene to help out both
the state and local princesses.”
Along with being dairy prin
cess, Lori is also involved in the
Penn State Dairy Science Club
and was recently selected to be
one of Penn State’s Ag Advo
cates, which is a prestigious
group of students who help the
College of Ag Sciences with stu
dent recruitment and promo
tion.
Lori is active in both her local
4-H dairy and swine clubs. She
owns 10 dairy animals that she
shows at county, district, and
state level 4-H and Holstein
breed shows. She has partici
pated in dairy bowl teams for
both the 4-H and Holstein clubs.
In college, she is hoping to get
involved in dairy and livestock
judging.
Lori recently traveled with
her family to Ohio to get this
year’s projects for the swine
club. She has taken reserve
grand champion market swine
at the Pennsylvania Farm Show
with past projects.
“Our swine projects originally
started as college tuition funds,
but now it’s just a hobby that we
all enjoy,” said Lori. “It’s some
thing outside of dairy that our
family could get involved with
through 4-H.T’ve gotten to meet
a lot of people outside of dairy
who are involved in agricul
ture.”
Although Lori has held many
offices in both 4-H clubs during
past years, she has stepped
down to let the younger mem
bers take leadership roles. In
stead, she is volunteering for
leadership roles in the Penn
State Dairy Science Club. She
was recently elected as chairper
son for the Penn State 2001
Dairy Exposition, which is held
in April.
Active in both 4-H and the Holstein Club, Lori owns 10
dairy animals, along with a 4-H pig project.
While Lori was hoping to do
well at the state dairy princess
pageant last September, she
knew it could have been any
one’s night.
“There were a lot of talented
and knowledgeable girls who
ran for the state title,” said Lori.
“I was really excited when I
won.”
Lori is the second dairy prin
cess from Centre County to win
the state title. “My committee
was ecstatic that I won and
thought it was great for the
county.”
Through being dairy princess,
Lori has improved her public
speaking skills and been made
more aware of facets in the dairy
industry she was unfamiliar
with before this year.
“I know more about the pro
motion side of the industry, and
I’ve gotten to see how the public
views the dairy industry,” said
Lori. “I’m more open to getting
feedback and listening to other
people’s perceptions of our in
dustry.”
One thing that Lori has
stressed during her reign is im
proving the public’s perception
of the dairy industry.
“The public has a perception
of the industry, not just the
products, that needs change,”
said Lori. “Along with the nutri
tional aspects, dairy products
offer a lot of benefits and attrib
utes that our industry can focus
on in the future.”
Some of those potential facets
for promotion include the use of
dairy in cosmetics, fertility re
search, and skin care.
“The dairy industry is looked
as non-prosperous by both
people in and outside of agricul
ture,” said Lori. “Although we
all need to realize that our in
dustry does need a lot of help
right now, we need to stress that.
(Turn to Pago B 3)