Now in its second year, the Strassenbash Ambassador program is continuing its mission to grow outreach and make the festival’s community spirit a yearlong habit.

The ambassador program is the successor to the traditional Strassenbash Queen Contest. It includes high school-age boys and girls, who are focused on community engagement and self-improvement, rather than pageantry or popularity.

Organizer Heidi Halleman said the ambassadors this year participated in a back-to-school supply event, helped provide community lunches, and organized a park yoga event to help community members get out of the house in a safe way. They also participated in several professional development sessions in partnership with local business leaders.

“Watching these kids try to brainstorm ways to help their fellow neighbors is amazing,” Halleman commented. “We want them to be able to better themselves, have a grasp on how to take their next steps in life, and also instill in them a sense of volunteerism and community.”

And while that community spirit is the ultimate goal, Halleman said an immediate incentive is scholarship money provided to the top three ambassadors. The awards will be announced during the Strassenbash festival this Saturday, Oct. 3, primarily based on ambassador volunteer activities, mock professional interviews, and professional resumes that they develop.

Halleman said the ambassador contest grew from its initial five participants last year, to 11 this year, including the first male contender. She hopes the ambassador program can continue to grow and find new ways to engage with the community.

“Being an ambassador means the acknowledgment that sometimes not everyone in the community is doing as well as you hope. The rest of us can be there to lend a helping hand, and let them know we’re that kind of community,” Halleman described.

Ambassador participant Katlyn Guthrie said this is her second year in the program. She’s a senior at Wright City High School, and said the program’s professional development workshops have helped grow her confidence. A mock interview question about fixing a past regret was one that stood out to her.

“It really made me reflect on my mistakes, and how they’ve helped me grow into a better person,” Guthrie commented. She said she also values the chance to interact with the community and help people whose struggles might not be obvious.

Guthrie was the runner-up scholarship winner in 2019, and said she will put that money toward a master’s degree in nursing.

Fellow ambassador Alex Jaspering, a Wright City junior, said joining the program opened her eyes to the positive impact she can have.

“It’s really helped me get an outlook on how much need there is in our community. ... There are a lot of people in need of help,” Jaspering explained. “Joining ambassadors has made me want to continue it next year, but also into college, and keep looking for opportunities to be involved in my community.”

If she wins a scholarship this year, Jaspering will put it toward a degree in education.

The ambassador scholarships are funded by 50/50 raffle tickets that are sold by each of the ambassadors. Jaspering said it’s been difficult this year to find opportunities to sell the raffle tickets, because so many community events have been canceled.

Raffle tickets remain on sale through this week and the day of the Strassenbash festival.