Grace Stanke Visits Section 36!

Photo: Denise Watrous

Section 36 had another visitor! Grace Stanke is passionate about clean energy, a talented violinist, and the current Miss Wisconsin. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Grace Stanke visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Wisconsin crown?

I was lucky enough to celebrate becoming Miss Wisconsin with family and friends at the after-party that the Miss Wisconsin Organization puts on. I spent so much time with people at that after-party that I quite literally forgot to eat, so about 5 hours after being crowned Miss Wisconsin I was able to get some hard earned Chik-Fil-A!

What has been the biggest surprise about your time as Miss Wisconsin?

The biggest surprise was the amount of support I received from the nuclear industry. As a nuclear engineer, I am breaking stereotypes in the Miss America Organization. However, as a Miss Wisconsin, I am breaking stereotypes in the nuclear industry. I was pretty nervous about how the industry would respond to an undergraduate student becoming Miss Wisconsin! However, I have been continuously congratulated and supported in a variety of ways, including three partnerships supporting my mission as Miss Wisconsin.

What part of the upcoming Miss America competition are you most nervous about?

I'm pretty nervous about wardrobe - I've never been the person to really care about wardrobe too much, and it always feels like wardrobe is an intense part of preparation for the Miss America Competition. However, I have made sure to find wardrobe that I feel confident in, and that I know is 100% me as I continue to prepare for the Miss America Competition!

How did you select your social impact initiative, "Clean Energy, Clean Future"?

As a nuclear engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I have become heavily involved in the energy industry. When choosing my social impact initiative, I asked myself what I knew I could talk about for hours on end and is something that society needs to change. That answer came down to switching America to zero-carbon energy with a heavy emphasis on nuclear energy, along with dispelling the myths surrounding nuclear power. I've had the pleasure of working with the nations largest fleet of nuclear generating stations, and am excited to share my work experience with the nation as I create public information campaigns for the general public to learn more about nuclear energy.

As a talented violinist, what do you enjoy most about performing on stage?

There's something about practicing a piece to the point of complete muscle memory. When I get to this point, I'm able to more of think about the audience and having fun on stage rather than focusing on emphasizing a note, bringing out a certain dynamic, or making sure I hit the shift into sixth position just right. I love to be in the moment and soak it all in, and that is best done when I have that muscle memory down pat!

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

Judy Hopps from Zootopia! She is paving the way in her industry, in the same way I intend to do in mine.

You're currently working on a degree in nuclear engineering. Where do you see that field taking you?

There are many options I could pursue. I could work in the medicinal field, academic field, research, the power industry, policy, and more. I personally plan on entering the power industry to help create and generate zero-carbon energy for the nation. I plan on spending most of my early career there, but I would like to end my career in either management or in policy work as I continue to advocate for the nuclear industry.

If you had an extra ticket to a Milwaukee Brewers game, who would you take with you? Why?

I would take my dad with me! We honestly aren't a huge sports family, and I think we would have a fantastic time being engineers and absolutely dissecting the sport and probably solving the physics equations of what velocity the ball hit after being hit or something along those lines. It might take the fun out of the game for some people, but it would be our cup of tea! (Maybe we should pursue positions in sports analytics!)

Is there a feature or activity during a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

I would LOVE to see the organs that play the music in the stadiums. I recently learned that some stadiums still have real organ instruments and hire organists to play them. Being able to see those and play them would be incredible!

---

Since Fenway is one of those parks, I definitely understand the appeal! 

As always, I want to thank Grace for visiting with us.

As Grace continues her time as Miss Wisconsin, I encourage you to check out her title's Website, Facebook, and Instagram. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on! 

I also want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss America crown this winter. It would be wonderful to have another Section 36 visitor wear that crown!

Thanks again Grace, and good luck!