Megan Harlan is aiming for a career teaching agriculture.
Harlan is one of the eight young women running for the Almond Blossom crown. Whoever is crowned next month will reign over the festival Feb. 26-28 and then serve the rest of the year as Miss Ripon.
The 17-year-old hopes to attend either U.C. Davis or Chico State to obtain her degree in Agricultural Science that she hopes will take her into an Ag classroom as a career somewhere in California.
She has spent almost four years in the Agriculture Department at Ripon High School where she discovered her passion for the Ag Industry. Megan said she became interested in the Miss Almond Blossom contest when she moved to Ripon with her family some 10 years ago.
“Growing up I loved watching the queen coronation at the spaghetti dinner every year and then seeing the Almond Blossom Court in the parade. One of the reasons I am running for Miss Ripon is for the experience leading up to and after the queen’s coronation. I want to experience the group lunches and workshops well as everything else the candidates are involved in preparing to be Miss Ripon.”
One special event in the candidates’ training includes basic etiquette where the girls are taught how to talk to others in the public sector, how to walk and how to sit when dining and placement of eating utensils on a dinner table – basically how to bring out the home grown charm of being a young lady.
“I have always had aspirations to become a teacher so I am taking those feelings and combining them with my love of agriculture to become an educator. My ultimate dream is to return to Ripon and teach agricultural science as well as become an FFA advisor at Ripon High School,” she said.
Megan said her “most consuming” activity at school is the Ripon FFA. She currently holds the leadership office of vice president in that organization. She was also the Delta-Cal Section Sentinel for the FFA organization for the 2014-2015 year and also involved in the RHS Clean Campus Club. Beginning in the spring she will be joining the Ripon High School soccer team. She is currently captain of her a soccer team based in Manteca.
The three words that best describe Mega says best describe her personality are “passionate, outgoing and determined.”
“I am passionate because I put my heart into the activities in which I am involved and I love telling others about the organizations and teams where I am a member,” she said.
“I am also extremely outgoing. If I was put into a room of strangers, I would not be afraid to go and talk to others and make connections. Finally, I am determined. I am someone who is willing to fight for what they believe in. When I set goals, I do everything in my power to achieve them,” she added.
Megan currently holds the State FFA Degree which is the highest honor the Future Farmers of America can bestow upon and FFA member. She is also a member of the Farm Records and Parliamentary Procedure teams in her FFA.
Megan said she is really looking forward to the fashion show with the candidates because it will allow her to put herself out into the public. “This will allow me to step out of my comfort zone and try something new.”
“I feel that involving yourself in the community service work can be an extremely rewarding experience. I personally love the feeling of accomplishment I get when I am helping others. I would love to organize a Mr. and Mrs. Extraordinary pageants in Ripon that would allow special needs students to be involved with a community event, making new friends and feeling like they really are royalty,” she said.
