Alexandria Roth and Allie Swanson are adding to their already jam-packed schedules, both hoping to be crowned Miss Nebraska 2019 this week and compete in this year’s Miss America competition live on NBC. Roth is nursing student and Nurse Tech at CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy; Swanson is a graduate program student, state champion basketball coach, and Engagement Coordinator with Omaha based non-profit Smart Girl Society.

Roth, a 24-year old Wall Lake, Iowa native who now lives in Omaha, studies at the College of Saint Mary and will graduate with multiple honors in July. She has participated in events across Nebraska and Iowa advocating for people with diabetes and educating others on what diabetes is and what the symptoms are. Roth, diagnosed with diabetes as a child, is the first Miss Nebraska candidate in recent years to display her insulin pump throughout all stages of competition.

“My social impact initiative, Don’t Sugarcoat It: Diabetes Awareness and Advocacy stems from my own diagnosis and struggle with diabetes. Although over 30 million Americans have diabetes, but I often run into individuals who do not know much about it,” said Roth. “As Miss Nebraska I plan to work with the Nebraska Legislature to draft a bill that would put a limit on how much diabetics are charged for their prescriptions. Ultimately, being selected as Miss Nebraska isn’t about me, it is about serving the state of Nebraska and being a good representative and role model. I hope that if chosen I can visit all parts of the state to educate everyone from children to adults and advocate for diabetics.”

Swanson, a 24-year old graduate and two time All-American athlete and Scholar All-American from Evangel University, is now pursuing her Master’s degree at Bellevue University. Swanson, who was selected to sing the national anthem at the 2018 College World Series, performs across the midwest through My City Church; she is an Assistant Girls Varsity Basketball Coach at her alma mater, Millard North High School; she is a certified barre-code instructor at The Barre Code-West Omaha; and she is the Society Engagement Coordinator at Smart Gen Society (formerly Smart Girl Society), a non-profit teaching students, parents, and educators how to safely use digital media. Swanson has been sharing that message across the state as both Miss Omaha and Miss Heartland, winning the Miss Nebraska Overall Interview Award and Community Service Award in 2018, and finishing as 3rd Runner Up. She is again nominated for the Miss Nebraska Community Service Award this year.

“I love setting big goals and pushing myself to accomplish them,” said Swanson. “I have raised over $60,000 for SGS programming and education, while also acquiring partnerships from Microsoft, the FBI, and NCMEC. In a world where 3.2 Billion people use social media every day, my social impact initiative aims is a proven model across seven states that have drastically decreased digital based anxiety, depression, sexting, and cyberbullying. My message to everyone is that your online presence affects more than just you.”

Preliminary competition at the 2019 Miss Nebraska event begins tonight, June 6 in North Platte, Nebraska, and will be streamed live online at www.MissNebraska.org. Candidates are eligible for more than $70,000 in prize packages and an estimated $1.4 million in in-kind college scholarships. Tickets are still available for the event.