Miss North Dakota’s official coronation in November

More than a feeling

SEP 30, 2017 SHYANNE BELZER

Miss North Dakota Lizzie Jensen poses with her very own crown and sash for the first time.

Miss North Dakota Lizzie Jensen poses with her very own crown and sash for the first time. Shyanne Belzer/MDN

Lizzie Jensen will have her official coronation to become Miss North Dakota in November but she has already started traveling around to make appearances and meet new people.

Since winning the title, Jensen said it hasn’t fully set in yet and it all feels like a daze. Her first day she headed to Williston and when all her work was done, she didn’t want it to end so she went downtown to meet the locals of the town.

Jensen grew up in Stillwater, Minn., but she always considered North Dakota her home. Her mother was from Harvey and she spent a lot of time going back there. She has since lived in Fargo for the last six years, first attending North Dakota State University before going online at Minnesota State Community and Technical College.

“Everyone always says that home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling, and for me, North Dakota is my home,” Jensen said.

Her platform she is working on is the #IAmMore project. It focuses on anti-bullying with the aim of not only helping the victim but the aggressor too. Jensen was bullied for 10 years growing up and it led her to have an eating disorder. With the #IAmMore project, Jensen hopes to help those being bullied know there are many sources and places to help them and that there is help for those who are doing the bullying too.

“I talk about my personal story and I’m very vulnerable about it, which I think helps the students really know that you aren’t alone, I went through it too, and one day you can be more,” Jensen said.

She focuses on the positives that people see in themselves, having students write down five things they love about themselves and five things they don’t. Then, after talking about why they don’t like those five things, they rip off the page and throw it away. Then they write “I am…” on the back of the positives side and finish the sentence on however they feel to empower them and remind them that they are more.

One of Jensen’s biggest goals for her year as Miss North Dakota is to work with legislation to change the bullying policy in the state and make it consistent statewide. Jensen has studied about all the individual school districts and their rules on bullying.

“As a local title holder, I even looked into all 256 school districts policies,” Jensen said, showing her determination to make a change.

Along with being Miss North Dakota, Jensen hopes to continue her degree to become a surgical technician. She has worked hard to go to school and wants to be able to help people and be hands on.

“I’ve always been interested in the medical industry. I want to do something in the trauma unit or in transplants because I love the idea of being able to help someone and give them a second chance,” Jensen said.

Jensen always wanted to do pageants but growing up wasn’t able to do. She did her first pageant three years ago and loves it. She doesn’t plan to quit after her time as Miss North Dakota ends.

“Even after one day, I’m like yes, I want to do this again,” Jensen said.

She wants to continue on, hopefully maybe making it to Miss America. She describes that as the ultimate dream because it would allow her to bring her platform to a national level. At the very least, she wants to try and become Miss North Dakota again and to leave a legacy more permanent when it comes to preventing bullying.

http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2017/09/more-than-a-feeling/