“It doesn’t feel real. I had Miss Bay Counties from 10 years ago, 15 years ago, helping me learn how to walk, speak in an interview and really just embrace being in the sisterhood. We were at the Wirt Library doing mock interviews. We were at Handy Middle School at 8pm on a school night practicing. These are working mothers giving their time because they believed in me, and because of that, I believed in myself.
There were four women who came before me who were Miss Bay County and went on to win Miss Michigan under different titles. I’m the first Miss Bay County to win Miss Michigan, and those women were backstage and were some of the first people to hug me after I won. That was so cool, I have chills right now!
I’m so lucky to have Bay County as my community.”
—Jenae Lodewyk, Miss Michigan
“In high school, I was doing everything and did pretty well. Then I moved to Detroit. Talk about a guppy in an ocean! I didn’t know what I wanted or even how to find my way. But I think back to this past week of competing for Miss Michigan, and I went into it knowing that I'm everything that I need to be. I was telling my sisters how if I don’t walk away as Miss Michigan, that’s okay. If I don’t win the crown, that’s fine, because I’m already so proud of the person that I am and the way that I’ve represented my community.
What I did want, though, was to win the week. I wanted to win the experience of going to Miss Michigan. I wanted to take it all in and actually become friends with the other girls. I didn’t feel the pressure to impress anybody because my focus was to have a good time.
There are so many thank you’s to say, but I have to give this one to my parents and to my sisters. They are so unconditionally supportive. My mother, Sara Lodewyk. I mean, there are no words. It's just love! She has given everything of herself to my sisters and I to give us the life that we have. My dad has been so supportive every step of the way as well. I let him mock interview me a few times—like, I don't think the judges are gonna ask this many hunting and fishing questions, dad! My sisters played the angel and the devil on my shoulder of, you know, ‘be prepared to win this’ and ‘be prepared to lose'. They really made sure that I'm humble, that I'm gracious, and that I'm ‘Jenae’ every step of the way. They know me better than I know myself some days. So I want to say a thank you to my family: my mom, my dad, and my sisters.”
—Jenae Lodewyk, Miss Michigan
