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Miss Sanpete County Ally Brotherson

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Miss Sanpete County’s Outstanding Teen Taylor Palmer

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Miss Sanpete County and Outstanding Teen royalties are pictured at the 2019 Sanpete County Fair. Pictured are, from left: Ashtyn Childs, Bailey Simons, Ally Brotherson, Taylor Palmer and Hope Marsing.

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Miss Sanpete County Ally Brotherson and Miss Sanpete County’s Outstanding Teen Taylor Palmer have completed their year of service. They will now pass on their titles and responsibilities to two young ladies at the upcoming Miss Sanpete County/Miss Sanpete Teen Competition to be held on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Snow College Eccles Performing Arts Center in Ephraim.

Ally Brotherson has served Sanpete County with dedication and energy, focusing on her Social Impact Initiative L.I.V.E. (Learn the needs, Become involved, Volunteer, Enthusiastically). She traveled throughout the county to participate in community events and parades, and participated in fundraisers and other events to support the Children’s Miracle Network and Soles4Souls, a nonprofit that collects unwanted shoes for distribution to others in need.

One of the primary responsibilities of Miss Sanpete County and Miss Sanpete County’s Outstanding Teen is the implementation and execution of her Social Impact Initiative. In this endeavor, she selects a social issue that she can be an advocate for. She develops a plan and puts it into action throughout the year.

In addition, she is a role model for young women, and she encourages girls and young women to develop their leadership skills and get involved in their communities.

Through her year of service, Brotherson has worked diligently to promote her Social Impact Initiative. “I hope I have shown Sanpete County that there is a significant need for volunteers in our community. Most of our events are run by volunteers,” she said.

To promote volunteerism in the Sanpete community, Brotherson looked for opportunities to serve and get involved. She and her attendants visited many of the communities in the county where they were able to serve at various events.

Brotherson’s goal was to find ways to serve and demonstrate that it’s easy to get involved.

A highlight of Brotherson’s year of service was the opportunity to serve on the UServe Utah Youth Council. Under the direction of Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, the council’s objective is to combat the lack of youth volunteers by finding creative ways to help youth get involved.

“My Social Impact Initiative is something I’m very passionate about,” Brotherson said. “I plan to further continue because volunteerism is something that is a big part of my life, and I want to spread the joy it gives me and to others.”

A traditional responsibility of Miss Sanpete County is to compete at the Miss Utah competition, but due to COVID-19 the state competition was cancelled and Brotherson’s shot at the state title was postponed. She plans to compete in 2021.

As for her most memorable experience, Brotherson said serving at the Sanpete County Fair was at the top of the list. “I loved every second of the derby. Oddly enough, riding on the hood of a derby car for Grand Entry was at the top of my bucket list as Miss Sanpete County,” she said.

As her year of service comes to a close and she prepares to relinquish her title and pass on the responsibility of Miss Sanpete County to one of six young ladies who will be competing for the job, Brotherson is optimistic about the future. She plans to use her Miss Sanpete County scholarship to continue her education at Snow College in the fall and then transfer to the University of Utah.

Her ultimate goal is to obtain a doctoral degree in dentistry, specializing in orthodontia.

Brotherson is the daughter of Rich and Molly Brotherson of Mount Pleasant.

Taylor Palmer is Miss Sanpete County’s Outstanding Teen, 2019. In this role, Palmer has spent time and effort working on her Social Impact Initiative, providing service to community organizations and representing the county at the State Outstanding Teen competition in February.

“Soak up the Sun: Encouraging Everyone to get Enough Vitamin D” was Palmer’s focus with her Social Impact Initiative. She planned an event to increase awareness about the importance of getting enough Vitamin D during the winter months when people tend to get less sun exposure and need a natural boost of Vitamin D.

Palmer also planned an ice cream activity with 15 girls (with COVID-19 limitations) and taught them about Vitamin D and how this essential nutrient plays an important part in lifting mood naturally.

Her most memorable experience as Miss Sanpete County’s Outstanding Teen was participating during the county fair.

“My favorite event was the Pie Eating contest because not only did we get to help, but we also got to participate,” she said.

Something unique about Palmer is that she performs a juggling routine for her talent. This drew some attention at the state competition, and when asked how she would like to be remembered, Palmer answered she wanted to be remembered as the girl that juggled.

However, as she reflects back on her year of service that has been, in her words, the most eventful but purposeful year of her life, her perspective has changed slightly.

“At first, I thought I would want to be remembered as the girl that juggled, but more than that, I want to be remembered as the title holder that showed all the little girls out there that you don’t have to fit into a certain mold to be successful in the pageant world,” Palmer said. “If a girl that juggles can make her way to state, so can a girl that does magic tricks and any other talent that can be thought of.

“So how do I want to be remembered? I want to be remembered as the girl that showed that to be successful in pageants, you just have to be yourself, do what you love and you can be different and make a difference.”

Palmer is the daughter of John and Linda Palmer of Ephraim.

The Miss Sanpete County and Miss Sanpete Teen Pageant will be held Saturday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Snow College Eccles Performing Arts Center, 300 E. Center, Ephraim. Tickets will be available at the door, which will open at 6 p.m.

Admission is $8 for adults; children ages 4-11 are $5 each. Adult tickets will receive one program with admission. Additional programs are $3 each.

Specific preparations and plans are in place to accommodate for social distancing and COVID-19 compliance. The Miss Sanpete County Board has worked closely with the Sanpete County commissioners, Snow College and the county health department to ensure the audience can attend the event with safe measures in place.

Attendees are encouraged to wear a mask and arrive early to accommodate the added measures in place for social distancing.