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Kenosha, Wisconsin — Miss America 2023 Grace Stanke made one of her first appearances after being crowned here in Southeast Wisconsin.
She was a keynote speaker at the 10th Annual Girls Empowered by Math and Science Conference at the University of Wisconsin Parkside. The event was attended by her 450 girls from Racine Unified Middle School to hear from experts in the STEM field and participate in various workshops.
“As a STEM woman, I wish I had an opportunity like this when I was in 7th and 8th grade,” Stanke says.
Stanke is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying nuclear engineering.
“The women before me, who are now in executive positions, removed the rocks,” Stanke said. “Now we’re removing the rocks. Hopefully all the young girls here today are pursuing careers in the trunk, so we’ll just have to remove the pebbles.”
Alayna Rodriguez, a seventh grader, said she learned from both Stanke and other speakers.
“It was really funny,” said Rodriguez. “She was really nice to meet her. She’s very pretty in general.”
STEM may not be for everyone, but Stanke hopes to inspire young girls to follow their dreams.
“Be happy with who you are,” Stanke said. “That’s a powerful thing in itself. You don’t have to rely on what other people think of you. When I was in middle school, I used to think that way all the time. What do they think of me? Me.” Are you a cool person? It doesn’t really come from other people, it comes from within yourself.”
The message she hopes will stick with Racine Unified Middle School students as they navigate their future endeavors.
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