Amelia Beard
HILL COUNTYAmelia Beard, 19, is a sophomore at the University of Montana. Here, she is working towards fulfilling her passion, studying Veterinary Sciences. Amelia lives an active lifestyle as she is an active member in 4H, participates in collegiate athletics and volunteering. Through each of these opportunities she has learned many valuable lessons. Amelia uses her skills towards empowering, encouraging and leading others towards following their dreams and becoming an active member in their communities.
Anna Haslund
WEST MISSOULAAnna is a Deaf, charismatic, 26-year-old who will be the first Deaf contestant in the Miss Montana USA pageant. She is studying dance choreography at the University of Montana. Anna enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring outdoor adventures and she loves to dance. She is a part-time petsitter for Rover Company and she enjoys her daily walks with a variety of dog breeds and personalities.
Ashley Kittson
HELENAAshley is a Native American woman, from the Blackfeet Tribe. She is a senior nursing student at Carroll College. Her passion to help and impact the lives of others led her to this career choice. As a volunteer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Ashley plans to use this as a platform to address the serious issue of suicide across Montana. Ashley would like to thank her sponsor, Triple Tree Engineering, for their support.
Ashley Vralsted
BILLINGSAshley is attending MSU in Bozeman, studying in elementary education. At 19 years old, Ashley handles two jobs in addition to being a full time student. She aspires to be a good role model for young children, to help teach them the ways of the world, and to show them that you can do anything you set your mind to. Her goal is to change the world of tomorrow by teaching the youth of today.
DaveyJane Stevens
RAVALLI COUNTYDaveyJane Stevens, 21, is the epitome of a Montana girl. She is outdoors all four seasons. DaveyJane began shooting archery with her dad at three. She volunteers hundreds of hours coordinating an outdoor 3D tournament to raise funds for the 4-H archery program. Besides helping introduce archery to youth to keep the MT archery tradition alive; she has a passion for dance. DaveyJane volunteers teaching country line dance, swing and polka. “Keep kids active!”
Emma Jobson
GREATER BOZEMANEmma is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Plant Genetics at Montana State University. She plans to graduate this fall and pursue a career in research to help feed the world. Outside of school, she teaches figure skating and curling, and volunteers for Montana Science Olympiad. She loves to be outside skiing, hiking, or standing in a wheat field.
Erika Spaulding
WEST MISSOULA COUNTYErika, 27, is a nursing student at the University of Montana, with a focus in labor and delivery. She also is a self – taught wedding photographer. Most of her spare time is spent in the mountains with her dogs or with her nose in an anatomy book. Erika is very passionate about the health of her community and wishes to someday serve those in areas of poverty.
Jacqueline Karge
WOLF POINTJacqueline Karge, 19, is a junior at Montana State University in Bozeman. She will be graduating with her BA degree in Applied Psychology, then plans on moving towards her Masters and Doctorates in the field. Jacqueline loves to read, sing, spend time with friends and family, and she loves to dance. Jacqueline can almost always be seen dancing when there is music around.
Jami Forseth
HUNTLEYCapitalizing on her experience as a black belt, Jami recently created POWERPresence. This free class is designed to help women discover strength and self-worth through the art of self-defense. Jami is also a former sibling to foster children and is training to become a CASA, an advocate for children in foster care. A biology major at the University of Montana, upon graduation she plans to attend Washington State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Joriann Heikkinen
GREATER MISSOULAJoriann Heikkinen , 20, is a Junior at Montana State University and is in the Bachelor of Science Nursing program. She wants to specialize in NICU, and dreams of holding and helping all the babies. Joriann has a love for volunteering and was recently involved with Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters . In her spare time she enjoys grabbing coffee with friends, going on runs, and traveling.
Maggie Reily
GREAT FALLSMaggie graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 2018. Working as a nurse nurturing the community of Great Falls has made a drastic impact on her heart. Through her job at Benefis Hospital she works bedside with patients to get them back on their feet and feeling their best. Outside of work Maggie can be found fly-fishing, thrift shopping, or volunteering as the community outreach director at the Great Falls Rescue Mission.
Merrissa Underwood
BRIDGER CREEKMerissa, 27, is a Junior at Loyola Marymount University where she will graduate with a BA in Journalism and a Minor in Political Science. She spent her entire life horseback riding competitively which led her to become an Animal Rights Activist & Environmentalist. She is passionate about raising awareness about the correlation between Factory Farming and Climate Change. Music has long been a love in her life as she is a poet, songwriter, music producer, and DJ in her spare time.
Naomi Soushek
ANACONDANaomi is a student at Montana Tech and is currently pursuing a degree in nursing. After college, she plans on using her degree to participate in overseas medical trips. In her free time, Naomi enjoys snowboarding with her friends and exploring Montana as a traveling nurses assistant. She is honored to be involved in her hometown Kiwanis club and hopes to use the platform to inspire others to serve and help change their communities.
Natalie Razey
MISSOULAIn pursuit of her Juris Doctor degree, Natalie double majors in both Political Science and Criminology at the University of Montana and will graduate next May. As a Board-Certified Autism Technician, she works closely every day with children on the Autism spectrum. She hopes that the knowledge she’s learned providing ABA Therapy will help her in her law career where she will continue to fight for the rights of children and families with disabilities.
Quinlynn Lockwood
BITTERROOTQuinlynn inspires to follow her two biggest passions, teaching valuable life skills and keeping people safe. Quinlynn wants to become a family and consumer science teacher and a Tae Kwon-Do instructor. She is currently co-instructing Tae Kwon-Do and learning from her instructors to prepare herself for her future endeavors. Quinlynn hopes to win Miss Montana so that she can promote self-confidence as well as address the value and importance of self-defense at any age.
Rhiannon Murdoch Kalsta
BOZEMANRhiannon [A.K.A. Rhio], nineteen, is pursuing a Pre-Med degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience at MSU Bozeman. She hopes to one day work for Doctors Without Borders and provide aid to communities in need. When not immersed in her studies, Rhiannon can be found playing rugby, working on her family’s fifth-generation ranch, volunteering through the Thrive Child Advancement Mentorship Program (C.A.P.), conservation organizations, and Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter.
Shannon MacNeil
MISSOULA COUNTYThe three best words to describe Shannon are free-spirited, genuine, and resilient. She is 23, working as a TV reporter. Shannon wants use Miss Montana’s platform to create social change through social media. She wants to show young women that they are more than just “likes” on a photo and teach our elderly population how to stay connected with their family. Last year she raised over $1,000 through social media for the Wounded Warriors Project.
Teagan Gray
MISSION VALLEYAt 19, Teagan Gray is the youngest employee at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Polson, Montana. She plans on attending medical school in her near future with hopes of becoming a Pediatrician. Teagan is a strong advocate for suicide prevention and mental health. In addition to raising awareness for these important causes, she also hopes to educate people about reservations such as the Flathead Indian Reservation where she was born and raised.