Rochester Woman Heading to Miss America!

Last night was the send off party for Madeline Van Ert, to wish her well on her way to the Miss America Pageant in a few weeks in Atlantic City.  The Rochester native was crowned Miss Minnesota on June 18 and since then life has been a whirlwind, getting ready for Miss America Pageant coming up on Sept. 11.  Although life has probably been crazy these last few months, Madeline has manages to stay wholesome and humble and happy and just everything you want in the girl representing our state.

 "What you see on TV is the walking around on stage, the smiling and waving in the pretty dresses, but there is so much besides that going on behind the scenes.  First of all, the service; that's already taking a lot out of you, but also giving a lot back," she said. "and then you have the interviews, which challenge your mental capacity and how aware you are with issues — you have to be much more aware of global and national issues because you are vying to be the face of a nation. … It really is about who you are as a whole person.  You have to be so sound in that or else you are just going to fall apart.  When you aren't totally yourself and totally comfortable with yourself, I think it shows, and with me especially, I can't fake it." said Van Ert.  "I think it's really important-people want to see a natural enhancement of who somebody already is, like me stepping up my game to become Miss America, but these are things I've already been doing.  My platform is based on things that I started in high school and have worked on since then, and music has always been such a huge part of my life, so this is just a natural progression, which feels so cool to just walk in and say, this is totally me.  If they like that, that's awesome, but if not, I know there is nothing that I could have done differently and I won't have any regrets which is just a good place for me to be in mentally."