Four princesses selected
By Holly Neumann
Four princesses have been selected for the 2023 Iola Winter Carnival Court.
Rebecca Woiak, Mackenzie Woyak, Chloe Timdal and Malea Tessen are seniors at Iola-Scandinavia High School.
The event will be held the first weekend in February.
Rebecca Woiak
“The Iola Winter Carnival is a great event for the community,” said Woiak, the daughter of Frank and Rochelle Woiak. “It was important to me to be on court because I can show my true self and be able to show my community that I love to support them in any way.”
Winter Carnival is a great event for the community because it brings everyone together, Woiak said.
She said her greatest asset that she brings to the court is that she is active in the community.
She is involved in chorus at school and plans to attend college to study early childhood education.
Mackenzie Woyak
Woyak is the daughter of Jason Woyak and Barbara Woyak and believes the Iola Winter Carnival is an amazing event.
“It allows our community and others to come out and enjoy all the different activities,” she said. “We get to watch and show our community how involved we get to be.”
Being a part of the Iola Winter Carnival Court allows Woyak to inspire other girls.
“It allows me to show them what a good representation of what a snow princess is like,” she said.
Woyak is involved with different activities at Iola-Scandinavia High School and is also a volunteer firefighter.
“It shows that if I put my time and effort into things I want to accomplish and have a strong passion for, I will be able to accomplish anything,” she said.
She believes being kind, supportive, hard-working and outgoing with a willingness to help support others to do their best makes her the best candidate for Queen of Snows.
In school, she has been involved in softball, all-star choir, treble choir.
Following graduation she plans on attending Mid-State Technical College in the fall of 2023 to earn an associate degree in nursing before transferring to a University of Wisconsin college to receive a bachelor’s science degree in nursing.
Chloe Timdal
Timdal, the daughter of Pete Timdal and Faye Timdal, said the Winter Carnival is a great opportunity for the community members to get in touch with their heritage.
“It’s a great event for those of Norwegian culture to embrace and inform others on it,” she said. “It’s also a fun way to get together as a community to celebrate our similarities, which can be hard nowadays.”
She said her greatest asset is the ability to show others just how great Iola is.
“The Iola-Scandinavia School District has created an amazing person through me and I value the time I have spent here,” Chloe said. “I also like to think I am an extremely active, contributing member of the community, whether it’s through community service or supporting our town’s events, I show a strong love for Iola.”
Being a part of the Winter Carnival Court will be an amazing experience for Timdal and her family,” she said.
“I also think this is a great time for me to make my aunt, Mary Timdal, proud of me,” she said. “She would have loved this opportunity for me.”
Timdal participates in a number of activities, including cross country, basketball and softball. She is also a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council.
She plans to continue her education at Minnesota State Community and Technical College to study nursing.
Malea Tessen
Tessen is the daughter of Todd and Michelle Tessen.
“The Winter Carnival is a great event for the community not only because it draws people from all over the state, but it also keeps our Scandinavian traditions alive and strong throughout generations,” she said.
She said it is important to be a part of the Winter Carnival Court because she loves the community and wants to support it anyway she can.
“The Iola Winter Carnival is a tradition that I want to help grow,” she said.
Her greatest asset she brings to the court is communication and service to the community, Tessen said.
“I have always enjoyed connecting with others and hearing the stories that they have to tell,” she said. “I think that my ability to connect with people and my love for community makes me the best candidate for Queen of Snows.”
Tessen is involved in volleyball, bowling, math league and musical theatre. She is also president of the high school’s National Honor Society, DECA and Student Council chapters.
She plans on attending a four-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing.