Miss Wisconsin Grace Stanke Crowned Miss America 2023

Miss Wisconsin proved that she can play a mean violin and that likely went a long way toward her being selected Miss America.

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Grace Stanke, a nuclear engineering student from the University of Wisconsin, was crowned at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Thursday.

She delivered what the panel considered a spectacular performance on the violin during the talent competition, as well as served up some winning answers during the Red Carpet portion and final round.

Stanke describes herself in her Instagram bio as a “nuclear nerd who loves to ski and travel.”

Grace Stanke Wins Miss America

After winning, Stanke said she is “excited” about discussing meaningful issues and represent the “women who can.”

She now intends to begin a yearlong tour in which she will try to raise awareness about nuclear power, as well as zero-carbon energy sources.

“As Miss America, I am representing this organization,”: she said. “If they ask further questions, I am able to preface saying, ‘This isn’t the organization’s point of view, this is my personal point of view as Grace Stanke’ and I can go on to state it — especially when it comes to things like nuclear energy and so many other hot political topics.”

Miss New York Taryn Delanie Smith was selected as first runner-up. While Miss Texas Averie Bishop was chosen as the second runner-up.

Miss America Org

Stanke succeeds Emma Broyles, who is Korean American and became the first Miss Alaska contestant to win Miss America title.

“Being the first Korean Miss America, that we know of, is really cool because I think about when I was younger and I was growing up and not really seeing Korean women who looked like me in popular media,” Broyles told PEOPLE. “I remember I was ashamed of my heritage and I was avoiding embracing it at all costs.”

“Now that I’m older,” she also added. “I’ve really been able to embrace my ethnicity and embrace my background, embrace the journey that my grandparents made 50 or so years ago.”

Read More: Mrs. World Snatches Crown Off Mrs. Sri Lanka’s Head, Citing Divorce Rumors

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