Dakota Farmer

Miss USA beauty contest has a rural North Dakota competitor.

April 9, 2008

2 Min Read

Check out the Miss USA pageant today on NBC-TV.

There's a young woman competing in the beauty contest who grew up on a North Dakota farm.

Stephanie Tollefson - Miss North Dakota USA - is the daughter of Tim and Dori Tollefson, who operate a grain and beef farm north of New Rockford.

"My dream has always been to become a role model in my community and someday represent the spectacular state of North Dakota. I just knew that it would take a few drops of sweat, a lot of hard work, and many years of perseverance," says Stephanie, 21.

She learned the value of hard work and perseverance on the farm, where she did chores and cared for the bottle calves. She is now a pre-med junior at the University of Mary, working toward a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. She is active in the Math Science Association and co-founded the American Medical Student Association at the university, where she serves as secretary.

She also works as an operating room tech at Medcenter One in Bismarck, volunteers in the pediatric unit at Medcenter One and in the nursery at her church and founded "Campaign For Red" to increase awareness of women's heart disease.

That their daughter reached her goal of competing in a national pageant doesn't surprise her parents. "She knows how to work hard and stay focused," Dori says.

Stephanie credits her parents with her inspiration.

"I saw how they had a passion for farming and how hard they work to reach their goals," she says.

Her parents encourage Stephanie and her three sisters - Heather, 17, Lauren, 13 and Brittany, 9 - to set big goals. Through travel, they also exposed their children to new people and places.

Being from a small, rural community doesn't limit what you can accomplish, Stephanie says. Sometimes it can be an asset.

"I couldn't have made it to the USA pageant alone. I would like to thank my family, friends, community and the businesses who sponsored me for all of their support throughout my pageant experience," she says. "I am so grateful to be in this position and look forward to all of the amazing experiences I will have in the state of North Dakota. It is one of the best opportunities I have ever been given."

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like