Name: Zoe Roou
Where is your hometown? Both of my parents are in the military, so I grew up in a few places. But I feel like my true hometown is Sparta, Wisconsin.
When is your birthday? April 9, 1996
When will you graduate from UW-La Crosse? I will graduate in 2018.
What is your major and minor? I am majoring in biochemistry.
What do you enjoy most about UW-La Crosse, as well as the La Crosse community?
I spent my first semester of my freshman year of college at UW-Madison and felt that it wasn’t for me. I actually ended up transferring to UW-La Crosse because I loved how the campus felt like it was in its own little area, but you were still surrounded by the bigger city. This campus is big enough where there is always something going on but small enough that I can get to know the professors and know that they actually care about my education. Besides having such a wonderful university, the La Crosse community is so welcoming and so close-knit. I was welcomed here with open arms, and I’ve seen firsthand how people go out of their way to help others. I’ve lived in several different places, but La Crosse is really something special.
What is your dream job?
I would love to become an orthodontist someday. As weird as it sounds, I always liked going to the dentist/orthodontist as a kid. Plus, I would not only be helping people with their health, but I would also be helping them with their confidence as far as their smile goes–it’s the best of both worlds!
What did you want to be when you were little?
I’ve always wanted to be a country singer. I grew up and spent over half of my life in San Antonio, Texas where I spent every Friday in school learning line dances and Saturday mornings learning to play the guitar.
When and how did you first become interested in pageants?
Texas is very much a “pageant state,” so when I lived there I watched Miss America with my mom every year, and I met Miss Texas at the rodeo. I always thought it was interesting, but I never imagined that I would do it. Then, when I moved to Sparta I saw that they had a local pageant that was all about community service and scholarships, and that was something I just couldn’t pass up.
What do you believe young women gain from being involved with the Miss America Organization?
Because I moved around a lot throughout my childhood, it was difficult for me to find a place where I belonged. I’ve experienced quite a lot in my 19 years of life, and I think the Miss America Organization really helped me use those experiences to better a community and find that place where I belong. What I truly love about this program is that it doesn’t just give you confidence or skills, it helps you develop and build upon the ones you already have. I have gained so many friends throughout this journey, and I’ve had experiences that I will cherish forever; it’s unlike anything I’ve ever done, and unless a young women goes through it herself it’s hard to understand how truly life-changing this organization is.
What has been your biggest struggle while being involved with the Miss America Organization?
When I first decided to compete when I was 17, I thought that I had to be like all of the other titleholders, fit some kind of mold or have a certain persona. I realized very quickly that to succeed in this organization and to be the best titleholder, you have to be who you truly are. I looked up to these women and figured that I needed to be like them in order to be successful, but in all reality I just needed to be the best version of myself.
What has been one of your most memorable moments/memories during your journey so far?
I was Miss Sparta 2014, and my platform was (and still is as Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest 2015) Cancer Is Everyone’s Battle. I created and coordinated my own event during a wrestling match at my high school called Take Down Cancer Night. I created t-shirts and sold them for a few weeks beforehand and encouraged everyone to wear purple to the match instead of Spartan attire, because the purple cancer ribbon represents all cancers. I even emailed the other school that we were up against (Tomah) to ask their students to wear purple to the match that night. When I showed up to the match that night I saw this sea of purple. I was blown away by the support of not only my own community, but by Tomah’s community as well; even both dance teams came together and danced in all purple outfits before the match. I ended up collecting over $2,000 to donate to the Sparta Area Cancer Support and a local family whose daughter is battling cancer.
What do you hope the future has in store for you now that you’ve earned the title as Miss La Crosse?
When I was Miss Sparta, I raised over $7,000 to donate to cancer organizations and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. I hope this year that I can raise even more money, but I also really want to get the word out that cancer is more prevalent now than ever before. Cancer will become the leading cause of death in 15 years; one-half of men and one-third of women will develop cancer. I hope to spread the word about the importance of pre-cancer screenings, which actually saved both of my parents, as well as the importance of helping the family members and supporters of those with cancer. A year as a titleholder is a year of service, and I hope that I can better the La Crosse community during my year. I will compete for Miss Wisconsin next June, and whether or not I walk away with the title, if I helped at least one person, then I have done my job.