My Miss America Experience (Part Three)

By Mandi Genord

[On Instagram, I asked what questions people would ask a Miss America candidate. Several wonderful questions were submitted. Mandi Genord, Miss Wisconsin 2024, was kind enough to take a crack at answering them for us. This is her third, and final, entry in this series -S36F]

How did you spend your down time?

Most of the time, I spent it reorganizing my room, creating content for social media, calling or texting friends and family, or eating! I’m the type of person who gets nervous right before competition begins, so whenever I had a calm moment, I made sure to grab a bite to eat. It helped fuel my body with the energy I needed to stay productive throughout the day.

What goes through your mind as you’re standing on the Miss America stage?

Not much! I tried to really focus on the music during evening gown, fitness, and talent so I could concentrate on my musicality instead of worrying about the thousands of people watching me. However, when it comes to the onstage question, I always tell myself over and over that it’s just one question. I remind myself to take a breath and focus on my pacing, because the Midwesterner in me tends to get a bit too energetic when I talk!

How did it feel presenting your SII/talent/gown on stage?

I’ve never felt more empowered in my life. When I imagined competing on the Miss America stage before actually doing so, it brought me nerves and stress. But when I was actually on the stage, all of my anxieties disappeared. The onstage portions of the competition have always been my favorite, because I grew up performing as a competitive dancer. For me, it was incredible to experience that feeling of performing for an audience once again.

What was the prelim process like?

I’ve always been a “go with the flow” kind of person, so the prelim process worked well for me! Although, I will say, since I was toward the end of the states in alphabetical order, I had to stand on stage for a long time, smiling and posing, before finally giving my onstage question response and walking for fitness. That was probably the hardest part, but I tried to keep from getting too anxious by looking for my friends and family in the audience and singing the Wicked soundtrack in my head.

What were your first thoughts after it was all over?

Let’s do it again! The week was so much fun, and I enjoyed every single second of Miss America! I loved having my hair and makeup done each day. I enjoyed talking to people about my adoption advocacy work, my love of dance, and my educational background. I also loved dressing up and attending events. Honestly, I just didn’t want the excitement to end. When I got back to Wisconsin, I was living in a little post-Miss America cloud for a few days, but I’ve slowly started to come back to reality.

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Mandi Genord is the current Miss Wisconsin. You can find her on her title's Instagram and/or her personal Instagram. 

This is her third blog for Section 36 Forevers. Follow the link for her other Section 36 Forevers Guest Blogs.