This is a series of interviews with the Top 10 Candidates for the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival Royal Court.  The Apple Blossom Queen and two Princesses will be crowned Feb. 11th at the Cashmere Valley Bank Royalty Selection Pageant at the Numerica Performing Arts Center. Get tickets here

Meet Top 10 Candidate Dylan Schmitten

Dylan Schmitten from Eastmont High School is a captain of Eastmont High School's track and cross country teams and has chaired many community events while mentoring underclassmen.  I asked Dylan what is the biggest leadership challenge? "It is really hard to get community events so I'm constantly emailing the city or business groups to see if there is anything we can participate in but I would say mentoring underclassmen can be hard because sometimes they do not want to listen"  Schmitten says building relationships outside her normal circles has been an important and the most rewarding part of leadership she has experienced.

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Dylan's proudest athletic accomplishment is in the long jump  "Going into the districts meet I was number three and was not on track to qualify for state and I just went out there and decided whatever is going to happen is going to happen but I ended up getting a personal best jump of over 16 feet and got first place and was the district champion and got to go to state "

Each Top 10 candidate is asked to name a person they would trade places with for a day and for Dylan, that individual is professional surfer Bethany Hamilton.  As a teenager Hamilton lost her arm in a shark attack off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii and her story has inspired Schmitten "She never let that get in her way.  She went back out and faced her fears and the way she keeps such a positive outlook on life,  I wish I could bring some of those attributes into my life"

Schmitten would encourage out of town visitors to visit downtown Wenatchee for its historic buildings, the Pybus Public Market and Lake Chelan among the other great destinations in the Wenatchee Valley.

Read Dylan's full biography here 

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