It began like any other afternoon for Madelynn Hardtke ’24. In 2022, she was scrolling through Instagram until a particular post caught her eye: an advertisement for the Miss Western Massachusetts organization. She thought of her unused high school prom dress, left over from the pandemic, and her memories of watching Miss America as a child and being “a really big fan.” She was immediately drawn in. 

Little did Hardtke know, she would go on to win the title of Miss East Longmeadow the following year, and the title of Miss Pioneer Valley this January. Now, as of June 2024, she can also say she was a contestant for Miss Massachusetts, a preliminary to the Miss America competition.