Posted 7:07 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, 2012
[caption id="attachment_15317" align="alignleft" width="388" caption="Tianna Vanderhei is a UW-L sophomore majoring in Athletic Training and minoring in Nutrition. She was a 2011 Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School graduate."]
[/caption]These days UW-La Crosse sophomore Tianna Vanderhei is balancing her schedule between studying textbooks, speaking to crowds in her German dirndl and eating plenty of bratwurst. But she’s staying fit too.
Vanderhei was crowned the new Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest Saturday, Sept. 15.
“My motto is to take it one day at a time,” she says regarding the full schedule of school presentations, parades and public appearances in the year ahead while she is also a student in UW-L’s athletic training program.
But Vanderhei says she is the right person for the job, as she loves connecting with the community.
“You learn about yourself, the community and you get scholarship money to use toward school by simply doing something you love,” she says.
At its core the Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest program provides scholarship funds and promotes higher education and community service, says Beth Bruzek-Vogt, the program’s director. Vanderhei earned a total of $4,750 in scholarship funds to apply to tuition at UW-L. Overall this year the program awarded $16,000 in cash or in-kind scholarships, as well as many gifts to the contestants in the program.
“The benefits they receive, whether they win or not, are tools that help them network in the community, which will help with future career and professional goals,” notes Bruzek-Vogt.
And, as Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest, Vanderhei will also be able to promote a platform she has lived by her entire life: “Be the best you: stay physically active.”
Vanderhei says she has been physically active since she was five years old, participating in dance and later playing soccer. Today she continues to dance and runs three to four miles per week. She regularly runs 5K races and looks forward to one day running a half marathon.
“My first 5K, I walked part of it,” she says. “The last one — I ran and sprinted at the end. It’s about motivating yourself and continuing to reach for a higher standard.”
She picked the platform because she sees how staying physical activity helps her feel good and stay focused.
“Statistics show the health benefits from working out,” she says. “I know people are busy and lead stressful lives. It’s just prioritizing time. Think of it as a business meeting with your boss. You have to follow through with it. You can’t cancel on your boss.”
She eventually would like to do rehabilitation for children and people with special needs in a hospital setting.
[/caption]These days UW-La Crosse sophomore Tianna Vanderhei is balancing her schedule between studying textbooks, speaking to crowds in her German dirndl and eating plenty of bratwurst. But she’s staying fit too.
Vanderhei was crowned the new Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest Saturday, Sept. 15.
“My motto is to take it one day at a time,” she says regarding the full schedule of school presentations, parades and public appearances in the year ahead while she is also a student in UW-L’s athletic training program.
But Vanderhei says she is the right person for the job, as she loves connecting with the community.
“You learn about yourself, the community and you get scholarship money to use toward school by simply doing something you love,” she says.
At its core the Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest program provides scholarship funds and promotes higher education and community service, says Beth Bruzek-Vogt, the program’s director. Vanderhei earned a total of $4,750 in scholarship funds to apply to tuition at UW-L. Overall this year the program awarded $16,000 in cash or in-kind scholarships, as well as many gifts to the contestants in the program.
“The benefits they receive, whether they win or not, are tools that help them network in the community, which will help with future career and professional goals,” notes Bruzek-Vogt.
And, as Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest, Vanderhei will also be able to promote a platform she has lived by her entire life: “Be the best you: stay physically active.”
Vanderhei says she has been physically active since she was five years old, participating in dance and later playing soccer. Today she continues to dance and runs three to four miles per week. She regularly runs 5K races and looks forward to one day running a half marathon.
“My first 5K, I walked part of it,” she says. “The last one — I ran and sprinted at the end. It’s about motivating yourself and continuing to reach for a higher standard.”
She picked the platform because she sees how staying physical activity helps her feel good and stay focused.
“Statistics show the health benefits from working out,” she says. “I know people are busy and lead stressful lives. It’s just prioritizing time. Think of it as a business meeting with your boss. You have to follow through with it. You can’t cancel on your boss.”
She eventually would like to do rehabilitation for children and people with special needs in a hospital setting.