Swansons the first sisters to hold Nebraska titles at same time

By JOB VIGIL jvigil@nptelegraph.com Feb 2, 2020 

They grew up in a home where their parents taught them Midwestern values and a solid foundation of faith. Today, sisters Megan and Allie Swanson are the first pair of sisters to ever hold both titles of Miss Nebraska and Miss Nebraska USA at the same time.

Allie is Miss Nebraska 2019 and Megan was recently crowned Miss Nebraska USA. Megan was also crowned Miss Nebraska 2014. Their parents are Sean and Julie Swanson of Omaha and they have a brother, Ian and his wife is Narel. Both sisters said their home environment in their formative years contributed greatly to their success in life.

“The first thing that pops into my head is about faith and about growing up that was just so important to our family,” Allie said. “That’s part of the reason why our parents raised us that way, was to establish those qualites of humility and character. You see those qualities in the Bible and our parents cared a lot about that.”

She counts herself blessed to grow up in a loving household with both parents.

“I know everybody comes from different backgrounds and different family dynamics,” Allie said, “but I think that has a lot to do with the kind of person that I am.”

Allie said she also loves they grew up in the Midwest.

“I think there’s just values here that we care about that you don’t always get everywhere,” Allie said. “I know a lot of Nebraskans can really relate to that, the hard work, dedication and caring about stability and caring about community.”

Megan said their parents were very supportive.

“We had two parents — we’re so lucky — who always said yes to our dreams,” Megan said. “Even when it meant going to three very large private universities with two very large tuition bills when we were not raised with a lot.”

A memory Megan has is when the family would save money for special nights.

“One of the things I say a lot is, I remember literally collecting pennies for pizza as a kid for like special Friday nights when we could get Papa Murphy’s pizza,” Megan said. “That was like a big deal because we didn’t have enough money to go out and eat all the time.”

Saving money, and spending wisely, was something their parents taught them from an early age.

“My parents used to keep a change jar when they were dating and that’s what they used to go on dates and stuff,” Megan said. “I think it’s just ever the more special that we’ve been able to get to this place through blood, sweat and tears and understanding that you can’t do it alone. You have to find the people who are going to be there for you.”

Both women are tall, with Megan standing 6 foot and Allie 6-foot-2, sparking careers in basketball. Competing in pageants was on neither of their radars, but the opportunity was not one they believed they could pass up.

“Really Megan paved the way,” Allie said. “I was a college athlete and I never thought I would have the capacity to do a pageant because I really didn’t have the time.”

Playing basketball was a yearround thing, Allie said, but watching Megan compete was an encouragement to her.

“I always loved watching her participate in it and I was like, maybe someday, but it wasn’t on the forefront of my mind,” Allie said. “But after I graduated from college, Megan asked me one simple question, she was like, Allie, ‘if you don’t do it are you going to regret it.’”

Allie said on a road trip to Missouri, she decided to give it a try.

“I tried my first local and ended up winning in Omaha and finished top 5 when I competed at Miss Nebraska,” Allie said. “I got thrown into this whole experience and it really opened my eyes to how amazing this organization is.”

Megan’s experience was similar, but different in many ways as well.

“I moved a long ways from home to go to college in Nashville, Tennessee, where I was pursuing a commercial music/voice degree and music business,” Megan said. “That’s what I graduated with and after that year I just kind of wanted to realign my priorities and my mom had a great conversation with me around the kitchen table and just said, ‘what do you want.’”

Megan has just watched JaCee Pilkington being crowned Miss Nebraska 2013.

“I just decided then and there, it just leapt in my spirit and I was, like I’m supposed to do this,” Megan said. “So I did and had a similar journey (as Allie).”

Both sisters were crowned Miss Douglas County on their journey to their respective Miss Nebraska competitions. Megan is older by a year and a half, so her experience broke new ground for the family.

“I did a couple of pageants when I was younger, but this was not my sport, if you will,” Megan said. “So I didn’t give myself the best chance at Miss America. I didn’t finish in the top 15, but really went into it the best that we knew how.”

She said it’s been amazing to see the journey and the story line that pageants have continued to have for their family.

“We also didn’t know that my mom would lose her job the year that I won Miss Nebraska,” Megan said. “So winning Miss Nebraska was the only way that I was going to be able to finish college at Belmont (University). I used the negotiation skills that I learned and grew in the leadership skills as Miss Nebraska to negotiate $10,000 of housing at Belmont.”

Both women say winning the titles has dramatically changed their lives.

“I think I’ve always had a big dream focus my whole life,” Allie said. “I never wanted to be put in a box. My whole life people told me I had to be either an athlete or a musician, or this. And I’m like, well, I’m passionate about all these things so why can’t I do it all.”

Allie has two terms of school to complete for her Master’s degree and then will decide what she wants to do.

“I love coaching, I love mentoring, I love public speaking, so I know I’m never going to lose that in my life regardless of what I’m doing,” Allie said. “But we’ll see. I don’t have a set, set plan yet.”

Megan has learned a lot about her pathway as well.

“Pageants have not only changed the trajetory of my life, they’ve formulated the trajectory of my life, I would say,” Megan said. “So when I was done being Miss Nebraska I went back to school and I just had a totally different perspective on life — on leadership, on how to navigate living with a different perspective.”

Megan is an entreprenuer and is the Chief Executive Officer of Powerhouse Pageantry, along with two other companies, Powerhouse Enterprise and Powerhouse People.

“After I started my company 30 days after graduating, I had no idea what I wanted to do,” Megan said. “I knew I wanted to empower women, but I didn’t want to be one of those gurus, life coaches because that was just too broad for me. So I believe that God just kept sending me girls in my Instagram inbox who needed help.”

Her business will be 4 years old in June and she continues to expand her opportunities.

“I speak and do motivational speaking, life coaching, pastoring through and also now starting to help people grow their own businesses,” Megan said.

Allie’s reign as Miss Nebraska will end in June and Megan’s quest for a Miss USA title will continue. Megan said she doesn’t know yet when the national competition will take place, but that it will be sometime this spring.

“It’s crazy, our family is going to go to two national competitions in under 6 months,” Allie said.