Congratulations are to ensure that Willow Newell, who made historical past as the primary Black lady to win Miss Wisconsin on June 21. The Racine native will now be heading to compete within the Miss America competitors, which can happen in Orlando, Florida, within the first week of September.
In response to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Newell, a current Carthage College graduate, beat out over 29 contestants at Saturday’s competitors, excelling in 5 classes: night robe, expertise, non-public interview, well being and wellness, and an on-stage dialog about neighborhood service. The gifted 22-year-old earned $13,000 in scholarships, together with a further $2,300 in scholarships for her spectacular efficiency, WISN famous.
Moreover, Newell earned the top-scoring vocalist throughout the competitors. She impressed the judges with a robust rendition of “And I’m Telling You” from Dreamgirls, which earned her the Ryan Man Memorial Music Scholarship.
Reflecting on the massive win by way of Instagram, Newell instructed followers that her life could be “eternally modified” by the extraordinary second.
“I AM GOING TO MISS AMERICA!!! 💚💚💚 WHAT IS HAPPENING!?!” the pageant winner wrote, captioning a photograph of herself being topped “Miss Wisconsin” sporting a shocking inexperienced costume. “I AM ABSOLUTELY SPEECHLESS!! This week has been an absolute whirlwind spent with the very best women in the very best metropolis @cityofnewberlin, and to characterize my hometown of Racine for the previous six months has been an absolute dream!”
Newell has been concerned with the Miss Wisconsin competitors since 2017. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theater from Carthage Faculty in Might 2025. With over 15 years of vocal efficiency expertise, she has contributed to greater than 15 neighborhood and collegiate theater productions, each on stage and behind the scenes, WISN famous.
Past her creative achievements, Newell launched a neighborhood initiative known as “Expression With out Exclusion,” which focuses on selling inclusivity and accessibility within the arts for folks from all walks of life, in keeping with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Newell stated she was enthusiastic about having the chance to showcase her energy and goal on the Miss Wisconsin stage.
“Tonight, I had the chance to share my coronary heart with the judges and the state of Wisconsin. My ardour and mission in life is to remodel lives by way of the humanities, to make everybody really feel included, and to create areas for expression #ExpressionWithoutExclusion,” she wrote, including, “It’s an absolute honor to be the primary Black lady to characterize the state of Wisconsin! And I can not wait to step on the Miss America stage and meet all of you whereas serving this stunning state I’ve the privilege of calling residence!”
This isn’t the primary time Newell has received a pageant award. In November 2024, the younger star was topped “Miss Racine.” She beat out 10 different candidates for the unbelievable award.
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