Nicole Swanson recalls spending many Labor Day weekends and summer vacations in Park Rapids where her mother, Ann, grew up and her grandparents, Curt and Vangie Cookson lived for many years.
Last weekend, she won the Miss Minnesota competition and will represent the entire state in competition for the coveted title of Miss America.
The road to the top competition of pageantry has been relatively short for the 23-year-old.
The first pageant she entered was in her senior year of high school. But, she's been preparing for her talent portion and platform, "Music is Instrumental," since she was 3 years old.
Swanson was exposed to the violin early on. In first grade, she met its cousin, the viola.
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She continued studying the swooning sounds of the instrument through her college career at the University of Minnesota, earning a degree in viola performance and a minor in journalism.
Her career goals include becoming a professional musician, dean of a musical school and being crowned Miss America.
Miss Minnesota
On June 17, Swanson competed for the Miss Minnesota title for the second time.
Swanson's family, friends and pageant committee helped her build the confidence that carries the swimsuit competition and the knowledge and preparation that builds an admirable platform.
"The competition itself isn't that nerve-racking when you're ready for it," Swanson said. "I'd say the most challenging thing is the interview because it lasts 12 minutes and is 30 percent of the score."
During the interview, Swanson presented in-depth knowledge of her platform through the use of statistics and personal experiences.
"My platform focuses on the benefits and ties of music and education," she said.
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While in school, she taught children how to appreciate music and enjoy playing.
"Between September, when they began learning, and May, when the recital was, you could see a growth in their confidence and communication skills," She said. "I even had a few parents tell me their child's grades had improved. That didn't surprise me because there's plenty of research that shows the ties of musical education and academic achievement."
For the talent portion, Swanson selected a few pieces that showed range and emotion of the viola. She chose Fritz Kreisler's, "Praeludium Allegro."
"I wanted something that was slow, fast and dramatic," she said.
Her musical piece was much like the competition. The preparation slowly moved along. It was over quickly, ending dramatically as last year's Miss Minnesota placed a crown atop her head.
Swanson remembers seeing her friends and family jump from their seats.
"I kept thinking how surreal it was, that it was actually happening," she said.
Swanson's mother, Ann, a 1971 graduate of Park Rapids High School, where her father was transportation supervisor, said they've never been a pageant family.
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"I've become a believer in the program because I've seen my child mature and become self-assured," Ann said.
And on to Miss America
The preliminary rounds for the nation's oldest beauty pageant, Miss America, are 10 weeks away. This year, the competition is taking on a new look. Country Music Television (CMT) and the Miss America Organization announced the pageant will be in documentary format, following each of the 52 contestants during the preliminary stage.
The preliminaries begin Sept. 5 in Los Angeles. "Finding Miss America" will be televised in seven episodes, leading to the live Miss America pageant tentatively set for the beginning months of 2007.
