Introduction of the 2019 Volunteer Relations Intern

Hello everyone, my name is Lucia Ruppert and I am serving as the 2019 Volunteer Relations Intern for the 2019 Iowa State Fair! I am in the midst of my first week at the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation and I am absolutely loving it. I grew up in Norwalk, Iowa and have worked and attended the fair with my family’s booth for as long as I can remember. I have loved coming and interacting with the public, selling Rada Cutlery knives for all 10 days since I was little. My favorite part of the fair continues to be when I can sneak away and catch a ride on the Big Yellow Slide and the Sky Glider.

I just finished up my senior year at Colorado State University where I am double majoring in Equine Science and Natural Resource Tourism and minoring in Business Administration. I will be returning to Fort Collins to finish up my last semester at CSU which is starting to become bittersweet. In Fort Collins, I am very involved. I am an Admissions Ambassador for the University where I give campus tours to more than 1,200 prospective students and their families a year. I am also an Equine Science Steward, we are a group of high achieving Equine Science students who serve as ambassadors for our major and the College of Ag to help with a lot of outreach and events for students. With the Equine Science Stewards I am the Communications Director, where I am in charge of all of the social media and outreach, and the Recruitment and Tours Director where I design our tours to make sure families have the best representation of the Equine Science major and facilities as possible. I also run my own pet and ranch sitting business to ensure that the Fort Collins area has some of the best pet services around.

When I get to enjoy some free time, I love to explore the incredible outdoors and natural areas in Colorado. My favorite is to go hiking at Horsetooth Reservoir with my dog and my friends. I also enjoy riding my horse around trails in Fort Collins.

Summer has finally started and I am so excited to take my first steps down the grand concourse with a bag of mini doughnuts in my hand and an army of volunteers behind me. Get ready everyone it’s State Fair season!