Shelbyville grad preparing for on-air role at WTWO in Terre Haute

Julia Prickett can add host of the Shelby County Fair Little Miss and Little Mister Pageant to her list of accomplishments.

The 2020 Shelbyville High School graduate and 2021 Shelby County Fair Queen came home Sunday to be part of the Shelby County Fair Queen Pageant.

“I think it’s always a great time to come back and see the young women who compete each year,” said Prickett. “It’s not even about the win but rather learning the interview skills, the public speaking skills that you can take outside of the pageant into the real world.”

Pickett speaks from experience. In February, she was selected as one of 24 500 Festival princesses which meant the month of May was going to be busy – also including her graduation from Purdue University with a degree in Mass Media Communications and a minor on Meteorology.

“It was a surreal opportunity overall, not even just the month but the year of being a princess and doing different things like outreaches and being at the race track as a princess and talking to people and getting to know a lot of different individuals was fantastic,” she said.

Prickett is enjoying a brief slow down to her life which included a return visit Sunday to the county fair pageant.

“It’s great to give back when I can and I love being part of the program and staying involved,” she said of hosting the Little Miss and Little Mister Pageant.

Prickett believes she will have time to visit the 175th Annual Shelby County Fair which starts June 10. Then it’s time to get to work at her first job following graduation.

She has been hired by WTWO NBC Channel 2 in Terre Haute, Indiana, to do weather and news. Her first “official” day is June 17.

“What drew me to Terre Haute is they are giving me the opportunity to do news and weather, which doesn’t happen all the time,” said Prickett. “For me personally, I’m pretty open minded. Two years ago I would have told you weather (was my first goal) but I love the news too. I will enjoy doing both.”

Influenced by the weather men and women she watched growing up in central Indiana where the weather can switch in a heartbeat has Prickett dreaming of one day working in Indianapolis. She already has vast on-air experience due to her time working for WLFI News 18 in Lafayette.

“Purdue gave me so many opportunities to network with people and internships,” she said. “I really enjoyed my time at Purdue and I am looking forward to working in Terre Haute.”

Five years earlier, she was just a Golden Bear wondering where life would take her in the future.

“It’s all surreal truthfully, graduating and now seeing my brother at Purdue,” said Prickett. “It is a really cool opportunity (in Terre Haute). Five years ago, if you asked me what I would be doing now, I don’t even know what I would tell you.”

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