Maggie Menard is a business associate in the department of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery.
She also is Mrs. Douglas County and on May 22, she will compete in the Mrs. Nebraska Pageant.
If she wins that pageant, she’ll compete in the Mrs. America Pageant in September.
 |
Maggie Menard, shown here with her husband, Joe, daughter Grace (front left) and son, Hayden, will compete in the Mrs. Nebraska Pageant in May. |
“I have been so busy being a mom, employee and wife that I haven’t taken time out for myself and decided this time is better then any time to enter the event,” she said.
Below, Menard answers questions about her pageant activities.
How did you become Mrs. Douglas County?
There isn’t an actually pageant for Mrs. Douglas County. Interested contestants enter the pageant at a $500 registration fee. I thought about entering last year but didn’t read about the event until it was too late. I then e-mailed the Mrs. Nebraska Pageant to find out more details. This year, they contacted me and asked if I was still interested, and I was.
Why do you compete in pageants?
As an adult doing pageants, it is a great experience to meet new people and the platforms they represent. It also is great to learn more about the community and get involved in community events.
How much work is involved in such pageants?
You can do as much or as little for the pageant. As of right now, I am focusing my efforts toward breast cancer awareness, which includes holding fundraisers, such as a spaghetti dinner I’ll host Saturday night at Omaha’s St. James Catholic Church. We’re raising money for the Nebraska Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation and to support me in the pageant.
What do your coworkers think of your pageant activities?
They have been very supportive and have donated funds for the Komen Foundation as well as the pageant. Some have gone above and beyond to give me ideas in putting together the fundraiser. I couldn’t ask for better co-workers.
Congratulations and good luck to Maggie Menard, Mrs. Douglas County.
Just to let every know, UNMC has another title holder – Miss Douglas County Nicole Haverland is a graduate student in the department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience.
Nicky is a rural Minnesota native and came to Nebraska to attend graduate school here at UNMC. Nicky is studying proteomics.
She became involved in the Miss America system for the community service and promoting her platform "Grab Life by the Protons: Encouraging Science in Our Schools."
She represented her home town in 2005 as Miss Perham at the Miss Minnesota pagent; as Miss Fort Abercrombie in North Dakota in 2007; and this coming June, as Miss Douglas County competing for Miss Nebraska. Miss Nebraska will go to the Miss America pagent in January 2011, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Good luck to both Maggie and Nicky!!