Quint Bell and Kayla Walker Named Mr. and Ms. Panhandle State

The Mr. and Ms. Panhandle State Competition held on November 3, 2021, brought community members, staff, faculty, and students to the Centennial Theater in the Hughes-Strong Auditorium. OPSU’s Phi Beta Lambda business club and the Student Government Association hosted and sponsored the event under the direction of Kim Smith and Dr. Sara Hitch.

The 2021 Mr. and Ms. Panhandle State Competition winners are Quint Bell and Kayla Walker. They were each awarded a $2,000 scholarship and will represent Panhandle State at numerous events throughout the year.

After graduation, Quint plans to participate on the Pro Rodeo circuit and pursue a career in banking. His rodeo passions are calf roping and steer wrestling, and he loves bringing out the best in people. His favorite thing about OPSU is the people and the community.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to be Mr. Panhandle because it is another way for me to give back to our Panhandle community,” said Quint.

Kayla hopes to become an Agriculture Commodity Broker once she completes her degree. She enjoys riding and showing horses and creating positive learning environments for youth interested in agriculture. Her favorite thing about Panhandle State is the feeling of being at home with new friends that have become family even though she’s 12 hours from home.

“I am excited for this year of service to promote all of the wonderful things about this community. This scholarship program is a wonderful way to grow communication skills and meet new people. I am abundantly thankful for everyone that assisted in putting this program together. I can’t wait to see what opportunities I have as Ms. Panhandle State,” Kayla stated.

Kim Smith stated, “I was beyond honored to execute the third year of Mr. & Ms. Panhandle State on campus. For me, pageantry is about continuous growth, professional development, and recognizing the vast variety of accomplishments these college students have achieved. After working with the students during the event, I am inspired; the candidates were absolutely the best of the best of OPSU!”

Thank you to the community judges for the event: Charles White, Reagan Morlan, and Sherry and Jim Quimby.