MONROE - Emily Guerin didn't set out to be in a Miss Wisconsin pageant.
But after a friend recommended Guerin, 22, try a pageant, she looked into the Miss America USA pageant. Guerin, a Monroe native and 2007 Monroe High School grad, said she liked what the pageant had to offer. So, she filled out the applications and started to prepare for the competition.
Six weeks later, on Sunday, Sept. 18, she was crowned Miss Wisconsin USA 2012.
At 5 foot, 7 inches, with blond hair and green eyes, Guerin has the looks and outgoing, friendly personality of a pageant winner. But knowing the competition would be stiff, Guerin said she did what she could to gain the winning edge: She stayed focus, kept a positive spirit and reviewed interviews from previous competitions. She also continued her health conscious ways, including watching what she ate.
She arrived in Fond du Lac, where the competition took place, on Friday, Sept. 16 The event started around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Fond du Lac Performing Arts Center with interview, evening gown and swimsuit competitions.
The competition was narrowed from about 34 contestants down to 15, and that group competed again in the evening gown and swimsuit competitions. Five were then chosen for an on-stage question and answer.
Guerin had a support team behind her in Fond du Lac - her mom, Diana, her boyfriend and several other friends. Her father, Lance Guerin, a chiropractor in Monroe, and younger brother A.J, were in Colorado on a camping trip they had arranged prior to Guerin's submitting her application.
Guerin went into the competition expecting to win.
"Regardless of who I was competing against, I was going in with the mindset to win," she said.
To keep up the positive thinking, Guerin said, she had visualized the moment where she won in her head a few times. Still, when her name was announced, it felt "surreal" and she felt like she was reliving the moment again in her head.
"It was like all the blood was drained from my body - I was numb," Guerin said. "It didn't feel real for a day or two."
To be eligible for the pageant, women must be between the ages of 14 and 26, and be unmarried residents of Wisconsin. Guerin said the young women she competed against were also just as focused and driven as she was.
She was impressed with the other young women competing.
"The girls were amazing," she said. "The girls are smart and accomplished."
The experience brought the world of pageants into a different light for Guerin.
"There were stereotypes attached to it," Guerin said. "It's nothing like that."
With her victory secured, Guerin is now excited to start being Miss Wisconsin USA 2012. Her duties will include making appearances, something Guerin said she will be happy to try to accommodate.
"It's up to me on how involved I want to be," she said. "I want it to be busy and productive."
As the only contestant from Monroe to ever enter the competition, let alone win, Guerin is also happy to share the spotlight with her hometown.
"It's nice to bring notoriety to the town," Guerin said. "I love Wisconsin and I want to make the state better."
Guerin studied theater for a semester at a state college in Colorado, but decided not to return to school. "It wasn't the path I wanted to do," she said.
For about two and a half years, Guerin has worked for a travel club, where she helps those who want to vacation for less. Her job allows her to travel to places like Las Vegas, Dallas, and Cancun.
Miss USA is a Donald Trump and NBC Universal joint venture. Next spring, Guerin will compete for Miss USA 2012 during a live national telecast on NBC. If she wins Miss USA, Guerin will move to New York City for a year to work with the program - a prospect she's more than happy about.
"It's my favorite city in the world," Guerin said.
And if she wins Miss USA 2012, Guerin will go on to represent the United States in the Miss Universe pageant.
Guerin said the whole experience was amazing.
"If you're lucky enough to get that title, you can do a lot of good things," Guerin said.
"It's such an awesome networking opportunity."
But after a friend recommended Guerin, 22, try a pageant, she looked into the Miss America USA pageant. Guerin, a Monroe native and 2007 Monroe High School grad, said she liked what the pageant had to offer. So, she filled out the applications and started to prepare for the competition.
Six weeks later, on Sunday, Sept. 18, she was crowned Miss Wisconsin USA 2012.
At 5 foot, 7 inches, with blond hair and green eyes, Guerin has the looks and outgoing, friendly personality of a pageant winner. But knowing the competition would be stiff, Guerin said she did what she could to gain the winning edge: She stayed focus, kept a positive spirit and reviewed interviews from previous competitions. She also continued her health conscious ways, including watching what she ate.
She arrived in Fond du Lac, where the competition took place, on Friday, Sept. 16 The event started around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Fond du Lac Performing Arts Center with interview, evening gown and swimsuit competitions.
The competition was narrowed from about 34 contestants down to 15, and that group competed again in the evening gown and swimsuit competitions. Five were then chosen for an on-stage question and answer.
Guerin had a support team behind her in Fond du Lac - her mom, Diana, her boyfriend and several other friends. Her father, Lance Guerin, a chiropractor in Monroe, and younger brother A.J, were in Colorado on a camping trip they had arranged prior to Guerin's submitting her application.
Guerin went into the competition expecting to win.
"Regardless of who I was competing against, I was going in with the mindset to win," she said.
To keep up the positive thinking, Guerin said, she had visualized the moment where she won in her head a few times. Still, when her name was announced, it felt "surreal" and she felt like she was reliving the moment again in her head.
"It was like all the blood was drained from my body - I was numb," Guerin said. "It didn't feel real for a day or two."
To be eligible for the pageant, women must be between the ages of 14 and 26, and be unmarried residents of Wisconsin. Guerin said the young women she competed against were also just as focused and driven as she was.
She was impressed with the other young women competing.
"The girls were amazing," she said. "The girls are smart and accomplished."
The experience brought the world of pageants into a different light for Guerin.
"There were stereotypes attached to it," Guerin said. "It's nothing like that."
With her victory secured, Guerin is now excited to start being Miss Wisconsin USA 2012. Her duties will include making appearances, something Guerin said she will be happy to try to accommodate.
"It's up to me on how involved I want to be," she said. "I want it to be busy and productive."
As the only contestant from Monroe to ever enter the competition, let alone win, Guerin is also happy to share the spotlight with her hometown.
"It's nice to bring notoriety to the town," Guerin said. "I love Wisconsin and I want to make the state better."
Guerin studied theater for a semester at a state college in Colorado, but decided not to return to school. "It wasn't the path I wanted to do," she said.
For about two and a half years, Guerin has worked for a travel club, where she helps those who want to vacation for less. Her job allows her to travel to places like Las Vegas, Dallas, and Cancun.
Miss USA is a Donald Trump and NBC Universal joint venture. Next spring, Guerin will compete for Miss USA 2012 during a live national telecast on NBC. If she wins Miss USA, Guerin will move to New York City for a year to work with the program - a prospect she's more than happy about.
"It's my favorite city in the world," Guerin said.
And if she wins Miss USA 2012, Guerin will go on to represent the United States in the Miss Universe pageant.
Guerin said the whole experience was amazing.
"If you're lucky enough to get that title, you can do a lot of good things," Guerin said.
"It's such an awesome networking opportunity."