McClung crowned

Some things just seem like they were meant to be.

Julia McClung couldn’t help but feel that way Sunday evening.

McClung, a 20-year-old Portland resident, was crowned 2020 Miss Jay County Fair Queen at the pageant at the Bubp Building at Jay County Fairgrounds.

“Unreal. Still unreal,” McClung, a 2018 Jay County High School graduate, said after she and her court got their photos taken following the conclusion of the pageant. “It’s taking me a minute to realize that this whole year … I’m going to be able to represent Jay County. That’s one of the biggest honors of my entire life.”

She was crowned queen from a field of seven contestants. She’ll be joined on the court this year by first runner-up Kenna Kahlig, second runner-up Gabi Paxson and Miss Congeniality McKenna Daniels.

McClung, who will be a junior at Indiana University in the fall, had not participated in the pageant before because of circumstance. Typically, she and her family spend this part of the summer visiting family in Germany, her mom Anni’s homeland.

But with the coronavirus pandemic thus far shutting down travel from the United States to the European Union, that trip was canceled. So too, her job working at the education library at IU was shifted from in-person to online because of COVID-19.

“So with everything combined, I had the opportunity to do this pageant,” McClung said. “And it’s amazing that it was definitely meant to be.”

The pageant is scored in three parts — the interview that occurs earlier in the day, the business wear/speech portion and the formal wear/question-and-answer.

During her speech, McClung talked about the importance of the connection between public education and 4-H, and the important roles they both play. She credited her time in 4-H with cultivating her creativity.

“Education is so much more than just knowledge and skills,” she said. “It’s the transformation into the people we are today and who we will become tomorrow, individually and as a whole.”

Not surprisingly, Julia is majoring in elementary education at Indiana University. She’s also a member of the Marching Hundred marching band, Kappa Delta Pi honor society and Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship.

She said she’s followed her parents’ example — her dad Kent is on Portland City Council and her mom Anni is heavily involved at Arts Place, among many other activities for both — in being active from her time at General Shanks Elementary School through East Jay Middle School and Jay County High School to today.

“Both of my parents are really involved in the community, and so that led me to being involved in the community,” she said. “I get to represent that and everything that unique and wonderful individuals bring to Jay County.”