Miss America 2023 is Grace Stankey, Miss Wisconsin. Nuclear engineering students advocate for clean energy. | Jobs Vox

There he is – an advocate for nuclear power from the land of cheeseheads.

Miss Wisconsin Grace Stankey has been crowned Miss America 2023.

Stanke, 20, a nuclear engineering student at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, receives a $50,000 scholarship for his win Thursday at the Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut.

“I’m so honored,” Stanke, who is from Wausau, Wisconsin, said backstage after his win. “I am representing women who can. We are not put in boxes, we are here to make a difference and change the world.”

The new title holder, whose pageant talent is a violin, advocates for a transition to nuclear power with her social impact initiative, “Clean Energy, Clean Future”.

“America needs to transition to zero-carbon energy sources, and I am helping to do that by breaking down the misconceptions surrounding our most powerful source of zero-carbon energy: nuclear power,” Stank said in his mission statement. Told. “I advocate for better communication about nuclear power and nuclear science with both the general public and nuclear engineers in order to bridge the gap of the unknown between the two groups of people.”

Miss New York, Taryn Delaney Smith, was the first runner-up to receive the $25,000 scholarship.

Miss America 2022, Emma Broyles asked the contestants how they would handle various situations in the role, including interviews with the press.

For example, if their personal stance on an issue differs from that of the Miss America Organization, but they are asked to comment, what will they do?

Stanke said she would make it clear that the opinion was hers and not the organization’s.

For her “red carpet” question, Smith was asked whether there should be equal pay for women’s sports. She said that WNBA players are not asking for the same salary as LeBron James.

“They are asking for a fair and equitable ratio,” Smith said.

“Pay women what they’re worth… Give women what they deserve.”

Miss Texas, Avery Bishop, was the second runner-up, winning a $20,000 scholarship. Elizabeth Lynch, Miss West Virginia, was the third runner-up ($15,000 scholarship). Miss Georgia, Kelsey Hollis was fourth ($10,000 scholarship).

A total of 51 contestants competed for the 2023 title, including Miss New Jersey, Augustina Malaus, who did not make the top 11, which were announced near the start of the event.

Miss West Virginia, Nevada, New York, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Oregon, Texas, Ohio and Indiana made the first cut, as well as Miss Illinois, who was voted as America’s Choice.

This was the first year that the Miss America pageant was only available for viewing via pay livestream, two years prior to network TV.

Viewers simply had to cover a $32.99 monthly subscription to Pageant Live to access the stream (then cancel after the pageant, unless they wanted to be charged every month).

In 2021, the 100th anniversary event — where Emma Broyles, Miss Alaska, was crowned Miss America 2022 — was also limited to streaming, but people didn’t have to pay to watch on NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service.

The 2020 pageant, which aired on NBC in 2019, was the last Miss America event to be broadcast on traditional TV, drawing in approximately 3.6 million viewers.

As ratings have fallen over the years – in 2015, the pageant aired on ABC attracted 7 million viewers – efforts have been made to modernize the competition.

As part of the “Miss America 2.0” makeover, the pageant eliminated the swimsuit portion of its competition in 2018 and re-focused on careers, STEM initiatives, and academics. But the contestants still model fitness apparel and evening gowns during the competition.

Miss America started in 1921. The Atlantic City event, organized by local businessmen, was designed to keep business on the Boardwalk after Labor Day.

In 2005, the Jersey Pageant moved to Las Vegas. In 2013, Miss America returned to Atlantic City from New Jersey to the tune of a large subsidy.

After Miss America left Atlantic City again in 2019, the pageant found a home in Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun, where the event, which traditionally aired each September, became the December competition.

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Amy Kuprinski can be contacted at [email protected] and followed on @AmyKup on twitter,