Princesses in a Pandemic

Most young girls dream of tiaras, ballgowns, glitter, and Prince Charming as they twirl their way through the living room, singing songs and dreaming of the life of a princess. However, very few of them may actually get to experience the true life of a royal, their dreams fading over time as they grow into reality.

But, there are a few of these glittering young girls whose dreams of royalty come true. You may see them at the fair, or at your local summer parade, tiaras sparkling in the sunshine. They wear broad smiles to accompany their glamorous gowns, and wave that effortless “princess wave” to each group they pass by.

But what about being a princess when the world isn’t so glamorous? Buffalo’s very own royal ambassadors share what they’ve been up to during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they are keeping positive. 

Buffalo Royalty

Each year during Buffalo Days, three young women from the community are chosen to represent the area as Buffalo’s Royalty, a trio of girls who have shown poise, grace, community service, and heart in their actions. Their reign consists of learning interpersonal skills, public speaking, community affairs and service, as well as what it means to be a community leader and influencer.

But really, that’s the short version of what it means to be Buffalo Royalty. Current royals Josephine Imes, Isabelle Vega, and Elizabeth Votava would be the first to tell you that being a community ambassador is a lot more than glitter and glam, and that there is a lot of dedication in the decision to run as a candidate. While it isn’t always easy, the experience has been rewarding for them – thus far.

The reality for the 2019-20 royals is that their reign has been quite different than the princesses who have worn the crown before them. They are the first princess ambassadors, to their knowledge, who have reigned in the program during a global pandemic – one that has not only rocked the world in an unpleasant way, but has also rocked things closer to home, in an equally unpleasant, and disappointing, manner.

“The reality is that we have a different experience than everyone else,” Imes shared. Imes, crowned as Miss Buffalo, will go on to compete in the Minneapolis Aquatennial for her chance to take home the Queen of the Lakes title. “It’s been hard to wrap our head’s around what is happening and figure out how we can still inspire others during this time.”

To their knowledge, the next coronation of the 2020-21 royalty is still on track for June, though the girls are not sure what the rest of their reign will look like – with events cancelled all over the state, they aren’t sure they’ll be “out and about” representing Buffalo anywhere, at this point, though they are hopefully the COVID-19 issue begins to fade with time.

Keeping Positive

Imes is currently enrolled as a freshman at South Dakota State University (SDSU) in Brookings, where she is studying English, with a specialization in education and a minor in psychology. Her hope is to become a high school English teacher for sophomores. And, while her freshman year at SDSU has been great so far, she’s currently studying from here in Wright County, with the rest of her first year looking more and more distant from campus.

“It’s sort of sad that my first year at college was cut short by the virus,” she shared. “But, it has been good. I can do all my classes online and at my own pace, which is good. I sort of miss my campus, though it’s really good to be home with family.”

Imes, who will advance to the Minneapolis Aquantennial as Miss Buffalo, shared that she is looking forward to seeing the new Buffalo Royalty candidates crowned in June. While she, Votava, and Vega have participated in many events throughout their year, they have missed a handful so far, and aren’t sure what the future of event attendance will look like. The biggest event they have missed, recently, was the Maple Lake St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which was scheduled for March 14.

“There have been others as well,” shared Vega. “Like the Wright County Dairy Princess coronation, Miss Amazing, and so many others. It’s really shocking to see what’s happening, and we’re really disappointed that we’ve had to miss a lot of the events other girls have got to participate in.”

Vega is considered an essential worker, being a part-time employee at Target. She is studying with the Minnesota School of Cosmetology, working towards her esthetician’s license. Her goal is to graduate later in the year, and begin moving forward to earn advanced practice licensure.

However, the three are staying in contact daily through social media, texting, and video-chatting. Together, they are trying to find creative and fun ways to stay connected to the community, and continue being influencers from home, when they can’t be out in the community as they usually would.

“We’re in the same boat as the community, even as community ambassadors,” Votava explained. “We want to really lead by example. Promoting things like social distancing, staying connected virtually, emails, everything – those are ways to set examples that we shouldn’t discount.”

Votava is also considered an essential employee, working as a personal care assistant (PCA) in St. Michael. She’s a freshman at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where she is studying special education, and studio arts. Votava discussed the idea of making short videos on the Buffalo Royalty Facebook page, to encourage followers and community members that they were alright, and right with the community.

“Sort of as a ‘we’re here too, everything will be okay’ message,” Votava stated. “We want to be as connected as we can for as long as we can – we don’t want to be out of the picture just because our events have been cancelled. This is our reign; this is what we will look back on.”

 “Part of it is we want to show future girls what this looked like for us,” Imes commented. “We want to show ingenuity and be able to provide insight and wisdom for those who will follow us and may have similar circumstances.”

Vega inserted. “These are really uncharted waters for everyone. But, we have to be thankful for what is here with us now – our families, communities, and friends. While it’s hard to know what might change, we need to be as grateful for today – the now – as we can be.”

“This almost adds a new level to being a princess,” Imes shared. “It’s taking responsibility, and making a difference through the position you’ve given.”

For now, the girls are keeping busy as they stay up-to-date on all things COVID, community, and school. They are eagerly awaiting summertime, hoping that the virus will pass and free up some of their schedule to attend events and be out-and-about in the community.

            To keep up with Buffalo’s Royalty, please visit their Facebook by searching “Buffalo Royalty” or @buffaloroyalty