Two years later, Miss Quincy titles will be passed on

“I had the (Outstanding Teen) title in 2018 as well, and now I’ve had it for two years because of COVID, so I’ve basically had the title for nearly all of my high school career,” Rose said. “I gave up the crown the first time as a sophomore and now in my senior year. So that makes it a little sad, but I’m going to be heading off to college next year, and that’s on my mind, applying for scholarships and looking for honors programs.”

“I’ve been saying that there’s a reason these titles are one year,” Hildebrand said. “It gives you a good amount of time to get your message across, and I think if you start going longer, you risk losing the audience’s interest, and it’s time for a new message. So I’m excited, and I think Shelby and I both have big plans that we’re excited for post-crown, as well.”

Hildebrand currently attends law school at the University of Notre Dame, while Rose is a senior at Quincy High School. As part of their extended reign over the last two years, they’ve had the opportunity to expand awareness of their social initiative programs, a cornerstone of the Miss America scholarship program.

For Hildebrand, that initiative was focused on civic education, an effort to get more young people engaged in public service and the political arena.

“When I won it was 2020, so we had the election coming up,” she said, “So what I was focusing on was imminent, so I did things like traveling to the Iowa caucuses, different campaign speaking events, and I got to learn a lot.

“Just a couple of weeks ago, I was able to speak to Sen. Tracy’s youth advisory group, which was really cool, getting to talk to young people that are interested in civic engagement, working in government, and in politics.”

Rose’s initiative was Fostering Hope, working to not only raise awareness of the needs of kids in the foster care system, but to help those kids directly, as well. She said the work won’t end when she hands over the crown.

“Just this past year, we’ve put together 300 ‘24-hour notice bags,’” Rose said. “So I’m bumping those goals up for the future. I set a goal to gain sponsors and partners to help as a non-profit. Chaddock has been the biggest sponsor and partner I’ve had in town, so that’s allowing me to keep the process going with all the fundraisers we do.”

These 24-hour notice bags are given to children entering the foster system under less-than-ideal conditions, taken from the home of birth parents or other family that can’t properly care for them.

“Most foster kids travel with a trash bag and just their bare necessities,” she said. “So we provide these bags filled with hygiene supplies, blankets, stuffed animals, things to give them a better experience in a tough time.”

For both Rose and Hildebrand, the emphasis on the competition is something they wanted to put more focus on.

“One of my pet peeves is being called a beauty queen,” she said. “I never liked that. It’s so much more than that. We compete for scholarships, we have to have social initiatives, we have to be articulate and handle public speaking, interviews, it’s just a common misconception that it’s just a beauty pageant.”

“Miss America is the biggest scholarship program for women across the US,” Rose said. “I think a lot of people overlook that because it’s called a pageant. I think it’s a lot harder than people would imagine. You spend a week at Miss Illinois and you’re up at 5 a.m. and on the go until midnight. But whether you win or not, it’s great opportunity to grow yourself.”

When the lights come down on the QCT stage Saturday night, there will be a new Miss Quincy and a new Miss Quincy Outstanding Teen. Hildebrand and Rose said it will take some adjustment to no longer carry the titles.

“I’m excited to pass it on,” Rose said. “Our lives have really changed over the two years. We’re both on to big things, we’ve accomplished a lot. It’s bittersweet, of course, but we’re so excited for the future, too.”

“I was talking to a family member and was saying that being Miss Quincy has become such a big part of who I am over the last two years, so not being Miss Quincy’s going to be a bit of a transition,” Hildebrand added.

The Miss Quincy Competition will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday in the Quincy Community Theatre. The winner of the Miss Quincy Title will be awarded a $3,000 college scholarship and will represent the city at the Miss Illinois competition, the next step on the road to Miss America. The Outstanding Teen will be awarded a $750 academic scholarship and will compete at the teen level of the Miss Illinois competition. Tickets can be purchased for $15 at Emerald City Jewelers in Quincy.