For the reigning Miss Minnesota, Emma Vrieze, the road to the crown started not on a bright stage, but in the tiny town of Osage, population 250. Vrieze, a nursing student with big plans for the ER and a passion for water safety, has used her title to champion community service and shatter misconceptions about pageants.
We sat down with the former “turtle shell” teen, whose confidence blossomed through competing, to discuss how her platform is saving lives around the 10,000 lakes, why pageantry is more about service than sequins, and what it was truly like representing the North Star State on the Miss America stage.
Q: The pageant circuit demands incredible dedication. What’s one of the most important life lessons you’ve learned from being a part of it?
Emma Vrieze (EV): Honestly, I would say the communication and public speaking aspect is what I’ve gained the absolute most for my future, regardless of the scholarships or anything else. The personal growth I’ve seen in my ability to speak in public has been the best gain, I think, I’ve gotten from this organization.
Photo by HiroPix Photography
I started competing in the teen program. I was only about 16 or 17 when I did my very first pageant, and I was so shy. My mom actually called it my “turtle shell.” But by my senior year, after competing maybe three times, I was suddenly running for senior class president. I was heavily involved in all my clubs and was taking a more active role in talking to people and speaking in front of them.
It helped me so much later, too, when I was taking public speaking classes in college during high school. I just felt so much more comfortable speaking in front of a group. And I know 100% that confidence started in the pageant world.
Q: You’ve got a busy year ahead of you as Miss Minnesota. Once your reign is over, what are your big goals or plans for your career and personal life?
EV: Well, I’m set to graduate in May of 2027 with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing, so that’s the immediate big focus.
Career-wise, I definitely want to start out in the ER or the ICU. I’m also really interested in women’s health, maybe Labor and Delivery. I want something fast-paced and maybe a little “wild” while I’m still young, so I can use all those fun nursing skills we spend so much time learning in school.
The goal is to jump in right away and become super competent and knowledgeable in my hands-on skills. Then, down the road, I see myself becoming either a Nurse Practitioner or pivoting to education as a nursing educator and teaching college students.
Q: Your platform focused heavily on water safety. With 10,000 lakes in Minnesota, what inspired that passion, and what do you hope to achieve by educating people on it?
EV: Well, I started water skiing at age two. We basically grew up on the lake, and I just love the water. I then started swimming competitively in second grade, and I absolutely loved that, too. That led me to teach swimming lessons for five years, volunteer with the little kids’ swim club, and even manage a pool one summer.
Through all those jobs and hobbies, including lifeguarding, I learned a lot about drowning statistics that I didn’t know as a swimmer. That was really scary for me because I spent hours and hours around the water every single day. So, when I started competing, I decided that this was my passion, and I made it my initiative.
I’ve been able to educate over 2,000 children, parents, and guardians about water safety.
I provide a lot of free materials that kids can actually understand, such as coloring books that show them how to keep themselves safe. I’ve spoken in many, many classrooms to help that impact grow a little bit.
Now, I’m working on placing AEDs at waterfronts. Drowning accidents happen and your heart stops, and I want people to have access to those AEDs in outdoor, accessible cabinets when they need them.
Courtesy of houstonphoto.com
Q: Are you getting those AEDs donated, or is there a way people can donate to that specific cause?
EV: Everything is still in the preliminary stages, and there is certainly some fundraising taking place. In my local community, I’m starting to work with The Lions Club to fundraise.
I’m also partnered with a Minnesota nonprofit, the same one the previous Miss Minnesota, Emily Schumacher, worked with last year. We have a great connection, and we’ve been working together to get AEDs placed at lakes. They’ve already worked with some lake associations, and I’m hoping to dip into new associations that might be willing to have one.
It’s crucial because it doesn’t even have to be a water-related emergency; just having that AED somewhere on the lake that’s accessible is life-saving. This is especially true out on the water where reaction times for EMS can be 15, 20, or even 30 minutes or longer.
Q: What do you hope to share with young people in Minnesota about self-confidence and being able to speak for themselves?
EV: This entire experience is incredibly rewarding, but I have to put it in context: I come from a town of only 250 people. That’s Osage, Minnesota. I grew up my whole life there, even driving 20 minutes to get to school in Park Rapids. It was a very small community, and frankly, no one was doing what I was doing. I had never seen another student compete in a pageant.
My inspiration was my aunt. She told me, “You should try it. You have a beautiful singing voice, you’ll learn a lot, and you’ll make some new friends.” I finally got brave enough to try a pageant in a neighboring town.
Since then, I’ve been very open with my community about everything I’ve been up to, mainly because I never had that role model myself. I’m so excited to talk to the little girls, the ones I may have taught in swim lessons or know through family friends, and just explain to them that this is a huge accomplishment they can do one day, too. I want to make sure they have the opportunity, the knowledge, and all the resources they need.
Q: That’s a powerful message. What would you say is a common misconception about pageants that you find yourself wanting to correct?
EV: There are two big ones. The first is the expense. I come from a single-mother household, and Miss America and Miss Minnesota always seemed a little out of reach. There’s this huge misconception that you have to buy something new every time, and it has to be expensive and name-brand.
But I’ve been fortunate. My high school friends borrowed me their prom dresses. My community has really stepped up to support me on this journey. We can absolutely be thrifty, reuse clothing, and style outfits differently. That’s one thing I tell people everywhere I go: Miss Minnesota doesn’t have to break the bank. It’s an addition to your life, and it shouldn’t be a huge financial strain if you’re smart about it.
The second thing is the old “beauty pageant” double standard we still hear so often. I feel like in the past, women have been put in this box, and sometimes pageants have hurt that reputation. But I make it known, especially in my community, that I chose to compete because I love community service.
That’s the beautiful part of our organization, it’s so service-based. It’s not about your outward appearance; it’s about how you hold and carry yourself in public and private situations, and with the judges.
Q: You competed at the Miss America pageant in Orlando in September. What was that experience like?
EV: I truly felt like I performed really well and represented Minnesota the way I wanted to. I came back feeling very accomplished. The longer I’ve been home, the more it sinks in: “Oh my gosh, I competed at Miss America.” I get to hold that for my entire life. It’s crazy.
My mom and I have been saying I probably came from the smallest town of anyone at the entire competition, and yet there I was, competing on the Miss America stage. It was wild! People were shocked when I explained the trek I had to make just to get on a plane to fly to Orlando. I made a lot of really good friends, too, who I know I’ll keep in touch with.
It’s not about your outward appearance; it’s about how you hold and carry yourself in public and private situations, and with the judges. –Emma Vrieze, Miss Minnesota 2025
Courtesy of Miss Minnesota/Facebook
Q: What else do you want to share about your experience?
EV: My main goal, even before I won, was to leave Minnesota better than I found it. Whether that means making a real connection at an event or talking to a little girl during a parade, the highlight of my year so far has been meeting people.
I know it can be tiring to be “on” all the time, but I can tell you, I’ll go to a parade and see a little girl with pink glasses, and I say, “I love your glasses!” She turns to her mom, her face is shocked, and she’s smiling ear to ear. That’s what makes this job the best.
I love traveling to other small towns, walking up to those little girls, and telling them my story and where I come from. Their eyes light up. Meeting people is the best part.
Q: What I’m hearing is how truly accessible this is to anyone, that you don’t have to come from a rich family or a big city to be part of it.
EV: Exactly! Every Miss Minnesota brings something different, and I knew my year was going to be about strengthening relationships. That means supporting our local directors, making sponsors feel appreciated, and connecting with communities.
I wanted to strengthen the relationship between Miss Minnesota and the state in general. This can be a lonely job without the support of your state and your people. So, making that support stronger this year was the real goal for me. I didn’t want to set any crazy, wild goals; I just wanted to make it even better than I found it.
Q: What was it like that minute they called your name?
EV: Like I said, I wasn’t expecting it. Jasmine Kotek, the first runner-up, and I are best friends. I honestly thought she was going to win because I love her to pieces and knew she was just as ready for the job as I was.
When I heard my name, everything shifted in one moment. I knew I’d have to take time off from school and join a new nursing cohort; my whole timeframe for my career goals was going to shift. That was a lot to process at that moment.
But then I also had the upside where I thought, “Oh my gosh, I’m joining this legacy of 89 Miss Minnesotas who have all paved the way for me.” It was wild, surreal. I’ve watched the video back, and I honestly don’t even remember that moment.
Q: Our last question: Minnesota Monthly is dedicated to the spirit of Minnesota. What does the spirit of Minnesota mean to you?
EV: I love Minnesota because the spirit of Minnesota is Minnesota nice. The entire two months leading up to the competition, everyone would ask, “What’s your goal at Miss America?” My goal was always to be “Minnesota nice” on that Miss America stage, showing everyone how great Minnesota is.
