Meet Your DJJD Royalty Candidates: Vanessa Anderson

In just a few days, three young women will be selected as the new ambassadors of the Defeat of Jesse James Days.

A queen and two princesses will be selected from seven young women at the 7 p.m. Saturday coronation at the . Those selected receive scholarship money and represent DJJD all year at festivals, fairs and parades throughout the state.

Two youngsters will be selected as junior royalty at 2 p.m.

In the coming days, Northfield Patch will introduce you to this year's candidates.

Saturday's 2 p.m. event is $4 plus $4 for the DJJD button, which offers admittance to other events during . Saturday's 7 p.m. event is $6 plus $4 for the DJJD button.

Name:  Vaneessa Anderson

Age: 19

Parents: Denise Stenbakken and Gerald Anderson

Employer: Valleyview Memory Care Center

Sponsor: Dundas Self Storage

Education: Graduate of Bethlehem Academy in 2010, attended Waldorf College for one year and this year will be attending Rasmussen College.

Educational goals: I hope to one day become an OBGYN nurse. Throughout my education, I have changed my mind a few times on what I would like to be; however, nursing has always been in the back of my mind because it is such a rewarding career with many opportunities to help people and do something new and different every day.

School activities, honors, clubs, etc.: In high school I participated in tennis, cheerleading and was manager of the softball team. While at Waldorf, I was an assistant trainer for the football team. Over the years I have been involved in LEO’s, Strive and Key Club. The organization that I am most proud of and learned the most valuable things from, like leadership, trust, and respect was from the Girl Scouts. I was involved in girl scouts for five years with troop #2613.

Hobbies and recreation activities: In my spare time I like to read, ride and work with my family’s horses and spend time doing outdoor sports and activities with my friends.

Career or long-term goals: The biggest long term goal I have for my life is to live in northern Minnesota and work as a nurse in the pediatric unit or as a psych nurse in a big hospital.

Why do you want to a part of the DJJD Royalty Scholarship Program? I wanted to be a part of the DJJD Royalty because, of the little girl in me. Growing up in Northfield my whole life I have gotten to see many royalty groups come and go through the program. Though I did not know when I was younger that there were other beneficial things to being a princess or a queen besides getting to wear pretty dresses and ride in the parade. I always thought about how proud it would make my Dad if I was one of those girls and how grown up and ladylike it would make me. All in all, I would like to participate in the program for the experience to represent my town and its history and to give back to it by teaching others about it.

What do you hope to accomplish if chosen to be a part of the Defeat of Jesse James Days Royalty Scholarship Program? If chosen to be a part of the program, I would hope to get more awareness about the program out to young ladies my age that may be hesitant about trying it.

What is your favorite event during the Defeat of Jesse James Days Celebration and why? My favorite event of the Defeat of Jesse James Days is the rodeo. I feel like this event packs so much of what the celebration has to offer that it is the perfect way to kick off the celebration and get you excited for it.