By: Rachel Bryson, American Honey Queen Committee
Anyone who attended the American Beekeeping Federation convention and trade show in January in Jacksonville, Florida has already met Selena Rampolla and Allison Hager (they were also featured in the April 2023 issue of Bee Culture). These women were selected as the national spokespeople for the organization during this convention. But what does it take to be a national spokesperson? Certainly, good communication skills and knowledge of the industry one represents, but for Rampolla and Hager, it also takes passion, commitment and a desire to use their positions for the betterment of beekeepers and the honey bee.
Wet Suit to Bee Suit
It’s not every day you hear someone say that they have been swimming with “nice sharks,” but for Selena Rampolla, she can check this off her bucket list.
“I like to scuba dive and I love being in the ocean,” said the Tampa, Florida native. “When I was really young, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I’ve seen a few sharks (while diving), but they are the nice ones.”
In recent months, Rampolla has traded in her scuba suit for a bee suit and now serves as the 2023 American Honey Queen. Her fascination with the human brain is what initially led Rampolla to learn more about the honey bee.
“I am drawn toward mystery,” said Rampolla. She recently graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, saying the unknown is what drew her to this field, and likewise into the bee field. “With psychology, there is still so much we don’t know about the human brain and that interests me. This unknown or mystery can also be found in the honey bee.”
“I’ve always been interested in honey bees and I did some research on them in high school. It wasn’t really until I took a beekeeping class in Tampa, which was actually a birthday present, that I got serious about learning more,” said Rampolla. “We got to go into the hive and it was fascinating. When the class was over, I told the instructor I wanted to do this all day. She said she was looking for help (in her beeyard) and that’s how I really got involved.”
That was the Summer of 2022. While continuing her research, Rampolla came across the American Beekeeping Federation website and the American Honey Queen program. With recent application changes, Rampolla was eligible to interview for the national position in January 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida, during the Federation’s annual convention.
“I hope to reach as many people as I can with new information about honey bees and beekeeping, while developing my communication and networking skills and building connections with the beekeeping community,” she said. “I also want to thank our beekeepers for all they do. I’ll be working for you this year to spread aware of our industry.”
And that scuba suit? It’s hanging beside the bee suit.
A Focus on Agriculture
Traveling from the waves in Florida to the waves of corn in Iowa, Allison Hager has been an agriculture advocate since high school.
Growing up in the heartland, Hager was active in 4-H and FFA throughout middle and high school, completing a plethora of projects from poultry, dog and goat showing, photography, nutrition, sewing, natural resources and beekeeping. It wasn’t until Hager received a youth scholarship that her love for beekeeping blossomed.
“I saw that the Iowa Honey Producers Association had a youth scholarship through the 4-H newsletter. I looked into it, and it was something I was interested in,” said Hager. “I knew honey bees played a role in agriculture and the environment, but I was interested in learning more. I was awarded the scholarship and spent the next year learning and becoming a beekeeper.”
This was the start of a journey that would eventually lead Hager to her current role as a national spokesperson.
“Ever since I got my hive, I’ve had this passion for wanting to know more about honey bees. I wrote about the bees for many papers in high school, and this helped my passion to just keep building,” she said. In 2021, Hager said she wanted to do more to educate the public on the honey bee’s contribution to agriculture. This led her to apply for and be named the 2022 Iowa Honey Queen.
Now, as the 2023 American Honey Princess, Hager said she is looking forward to sharing the honey bees’ impact on agriculture on a national scale.
“It’s important for people to understand the role of the honey bee and how they are involved in agriculture. I want to share the message that beekeepers, and the bees, are vital for agriculture because of pollination. It’s not just the direct pollination, but also the impact our bees make indirectly,” said Hager.
As a full-time college student who is looking forward to graduation in May 2023, Hager hopes to use her education in business management, with a focus on human resources, with an agriculture company one day. When she’s not focusing on her academics, you can find Hager out in nature focusing her camera. An enthusiastic nature photographer, Hager aims to tell a story through her photos.
Background
Rampolla is the 21-year-old daughter of Faye Turke and Renato Rampolla of Lutz and Tampa, Florida, respectively. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Prior to being selected as the American Honey Queen, Rampolla served as the Florida Honey Queen.
Hager is the 22-year-old daughter of Danny and Tracey Hager of Bellevue, Iowa. She is a senior at Iowa State University studying Business Management, minoring in Entrepreneurship. Hager has an A.A.S. degree in Agriculture Business from Kirkwood Community College. She previously served as the Iowa Honey Queen before being selected as the American Honey Princess.
Rampolla and Hager will spend the next year promoting the beekeeping industry throughout the United States in a wide variety of venues, including fairs, festivals, schools, media interviews and virtual presentations. To schedule an appearance or presentation with American Honey Queen Selena Rampolla or American Honey Princess Allison Hager, please contact American Honey Queen Program Chairperson Anna Kettlewell at 414.545.5514 or email honeyqueen99@hotmail.com.
