ALTAMONT — The look of shock.
That was Kyandra Zerrusen’s reaction when she was announced as Miss Effingham County Fair Queen Tuesday evening.
“I didn’t see it coming at all,” Zerrusen said. “Everyone knew exactly what I was feeling, but it was incredible and my face showed.”
That same reaction isn’t what Effingham County Junior Miss Rhylee Holland had, though.
Holland, a seventh-grader at Effingham Junior High, stayed within herself and didn’t let the moment get to her.
Regardless of the different reactions, both are proud to hold the honors of Miss Effingham County and Junior Miss Effingham County.
“We get to walk around with our crown and sash and talk to new people,” Holland said. “It’s a really fun experience.”
“We get to be the official hostesses,” Zerrusen added.
Zerrusen is a criminal justice major at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
This year’s pageant was the fourth for her and the first for Holland.
“It means everything to me and meant everything from the very beginning,” Zerrusen said. “That’s why I wanted to keep coming back and keep trying to get better each year.”
Zerrusen said the preparation for the fair began earlier this summer.
She and the six other contestants would meet every week.
“As we were leading up (to the fair), we started mock interviews to get ready for real interviews,” Zerrusen said. “We were doing things like practicing pop questions, writing speeches, getting ready to give those speeches and learning to be confident in ourselves on a stage.
“That’s all that goes into that night.”
Zerrusen said she never suffers from the dreaded stage fright but does get nervous.
However, she didn’t show any of those nervous angsts on Tuesday night.
“My heart starts to pound, but I think I do a pretty good job of not showing that,” Zerrusen said.
She added that she goes through a simple routine to quell the nerves.
“I breathe,” Zerrusen said. “I tell myself that, ‘It’s all me. I’ve prepared. I’ve put in the work and I just needed to let it out on the stage.'”
Both Zerrusen and Holland are avid fairgoers.
Holland said she participates in many 4-H events.
“I’ve always been in 4-H and stuff and wanted to represent the county, talk to new people and meet other people doing it,” she said.
Zerrusen is a second-generation fair queen and third in the family. Her mother and aunt were both past queens.
“My mom and aunt were both county fair queens and they were the ones who really told me how amazing this experience was,” Zerrusen said. “Hearing their stories is what originally got me interested and then, as I started the process, I realized how much I wanted to be a part of this and be able to be my county’s fair queen.
“It means so much to them as it does to me.”
The work doesn’t stop once this week is over, either.
Zerrusen and Holland will have the opportunity to attend other fairs and volunteer opportunities.
“We will be able to visit other county fairs and see more people join the county fair family,” Zerrusen said. “We’ll also get to be in parades and have lots of volunteer opportunities and we’ll get to see what that looks like as the year unfolds.
“There are tons of tons of things coming up for us.”
One of the most exciting opportunities for Zerrusen is competing in the state pageant in January.
Zerrusen said that preparation for the state pageant begins soon, but in the meantime, she’s thrilled to continue to wear her crown and sash and walk across the fairgrounds in style.
The countless pictures she will have are something that will also never get old.
“It will never get old because of what it means,” Zerrusen said.