By Brenda Erdahl
After a year serving as Miss Maple Lake Audrey Lee is getting ready for her grand finale at the Minneapolis Aquatennial where she will compete against 40 other candidates from communities around the state for the title of Queen of the Lakes.
The week of fun begins July 17 and culminates with coronation on July 22 at Ted Mann Concert hall at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus at 4 p.m. when one young woman is chosen to be the Queen of the Lakes, and two more are chosen as Princesses.
According to the Minneapolis Aquatennial Ambassador Organization (AAO), the selection team considers a variety of criteria including professionalism, public speaking ability, current and future goals, education, and co-curricular/extracurricular activities. In addition to the interview process, the candidates also participate in leadership, personal development, and other unique experiences. These experiences include visiting Minneapolis hallmarks like The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis, the Stone Arch Bridge and Minneapolis City Center.
This fall, Lee will attend the University of Minnesota Rochester as an undergraduate in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health and Sciences. After that, she plans to attend medical school at the University of Minnesota Duluth for a medical degree. She hopes to become a dermatologist.
Lee was active in her community, volunteering at the Maple Lake Library and chaperoning royalty events with the newly crowned Maple Lake Royalty. She was also an Irish Mentor through Maple Lake High School and participated in Alcohol Awareness Week before prom.