After years of being involved in Minnesota pageants, including being named Miss Thief River Falls, Miss North Star and first runner-up to Miss Minnesota 2016, Drevlow was crowned the newest Miss Minnesota.
“Winning Miss Minnesota has been the culmination of hard work, determination and self-growth, so it is truly an honor to be serving and representing the place I call home,” said Drevlow about the experience.
Drevlow graduated from Concordia in 2016 with a Bachelor of Music degree in theory and composition and is currently enrolled at Bowling Green State University pursuing a master’s degree in music composition. This came in handy for the talent portion of the competition.
On top of competing in talent, fitness and poise, the competitors are also required to speak about a platform. Drevlow’s chosen platform is dedicated to her younger sister, Brenna, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. Her platform is titled, “Brenna’s Brigade: Juvenile Arthritis Awareness.”
“To date, our family has raised nearly $27,000 and has traveled to several states to advocate on behalf of Brenna and the 300,000 children like her who battle this disease every day,” Drevlow said. “Brenna is one of my biggest motivations for wanting to succeed in the Miss America Organization.”
Two other Cobbers, Abby Ullyott '17 and Emma Zosel '18, were also in the running for Miss Minnesota. On the night of the event, Drevlow had quite the cheering section, with friends and family coming from Thief River Falls, Minn.; Minneapolis; Fargo, N.D.; and Phoenix.
“I am very grateful for the support that I receive from the special people in my life,” Drevlow said. “The current number of people now traveling to Atlantic City this September to cheer me on at Miss America is nearly 70!”
After her crowning moment, Drevlow was welcomed with open arms in Thief River Falls and Middle River, Minn. Drevlow’s first week was jampacked with activities – from interviews with AM 1280 “The Patriot,” Fox 9’s “The Buzz” and Jack and Ben’s “Up and At ’Em Show” to appearing at different events, such as ringing in an evening session of the city council to being awarded the key to the city of Middle River.
Drevlow is grateful for the community that has surrounded her leading up to being crowned Miss Minnesota.
“Having the support of these communities is invaluable and, as they say, ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ so thank you to the communities of Middle River, Thief River Falls, Bowling Green in Ohio, and especially Moorhead and Concordia College for instilling in me the value of service and being thoughtfully engaged in the world,” Drevlow said.
She will continue to engage with the world as she sets her sights on the next competition: becoming Miss America. Watch her compete live on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 9 p.m./8 p.m. CDT on ABC.
“The Miss America Pageant is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I can’t wait to soak in every moment and represent my home state!” Drevlow said.
Want to stay connected with Brianna through her journey as Miss Minnesota?
Facebook: Miss Minnesota Brianna Drevlow (@missamericamn)
Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Snapchat: @missamericamn