A 21-year-old University of Idaho student was named Miss Idaho and will compete in the 99th Miss America contest later this summer.
Deja Fitzwater, who will enter her final semester as an undergraduate this fall, was the winner among 11 contestants who competed for Miss Idaho on Saturday in Idaho Falls. She entered the competition as the Miss White Pine winner and was joined by Miss Latah County Clara Abplanalp.
“I was in shock,” Fitzwater said about winning Miss Idaho.
Not only did the win cement her place in Miss America, but the scholarship money she earned will pay her college expenses, she said.
Fitzwater said she will fly to Columbus, Ohio, later this summer to pick out the dress she will wear during Miss America. She will also head to Philadelphia to participate in an America250 celebration and join her fellow contestants in designing shoes that represent their states.
Miss America will be crowned Sept. 6 in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Competing in Miss America fulfills a lifelong dream for Fitzwater, who began competing in pageants as a child growing up in Oregon.
To win Miss Idaho, she had to participate in multiple challenges including a 10-minute interview session with the judges, which she called “one of the most tense moments of my life.”
She sang a jazz song during the talent portion of the competition and talked about her advocacy of the agricultural industry during the on-stage question segment.
Fitzwater previously told the Moscow-Pullman Daily News that she is fulfilling her community service requirements for Miss America by teaching the public about the value of agriculture careers and programs like 4-H or FFA.
Before the Miss Idaho competition last weekend, she met with farmers and ranchers at an Idaho Falls farmers market. She wants to share their stories with legislators and students while advocating for the youth to get involved in their industry.
“It honestly fuels my drive for what I do,” she said.
Fitzwater will spend this summer teaching students about agriculture and science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM). She wants to eventually pursue a career as a 4-H extension educator.