Miss Moorhead 2023
Abigail Vogeler

SERVICE INITIATIVE: 
The Me You Don’t See: Promoting Disability Awareness

Hello! My name is Abigail Vogeler and I’m Miss Moorhead 2023. I’m a senior at Concordia College double-majoring in Biology and Theatre Arts, with a minor in Communications. After graduating, I plan on moving to Chicago to continue to work in arts/entertainment in any capacity I can, with the goal of going to graduate school someday. At Concordia,
I am involved in a variety of areas such as music, theatre, first-year orientation, and student groups, one of which is “Sonder," a student organization dedicated
to disability and mental health advocacy. 

I co-founded Sonder in the fall of 2021 with the hopes of creating a safe space on campus for people with disabilities and mental health conditions. I’m currently the president. The word Sonder means, “the realization that every passerby is living a life as complex as your own.” This relates to the idea that you really don’t know what's going on in someone's life just from what you see on the outside. Many people are surprised when they find out I’m deaf, have hearing aids, and have autism. I chose to focus on "Disability Awareness,” as my social impact initiative because it’s something I relate to, and disability is also something that doesn’t get talked about enough despite ¼ of the U.S. population having a disability. Disability awareness is about learning, acknowledging, and accepting individuals' experiences as they relate to disability, which helps create to create a more accepting and accessible society. 

For my talent, I decided to perform musical theatre because musical theatre combines singing, dancing, and acting, all things I’ve been doing since I was in preschool! However, I also participate in theatre beyond performing. At Concordia College, I have been involved in about a dozen productions in many different areas (acting, choreography, costumes, PR, tech) and I work as the audience development assistant. Currently, I’m also the assistant director of the play Treasure Island, in a
collaboration with Hope Incorporated, Theatre B, and Concordia. In the summer
​of 2023, I’ll be working at Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre directing children’s theatre camps and doing choreography for the musical Carrie. 

My hometown is Buffalo, MN, and although I miss my family, I have enjoyed my time in Fargo-Moorhead and made lifelong connections here! I can’t wait to make more connections at Miss Minnesota in June!


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​Who is Miss Moorhead?
The Miss Moorhead Pageant is an organization to encourage positive achievement by helping to build the scholastic achievement, creative accomplishments, healthy living and community involvement of our young professional women. This competition is intended to encourage and reward the talent, communication skills, community service, and academic achievements of women.

Miss Moorhead may be called upon to appear at a variety of functions throughout the community of Moorhead, where she will be asked to speak, possibly perform her talent, and interact with people of all ages. At all of these appearances, she must be gracious, well spoken, attractive and well groomed, approachable and friendly in order to meet the public’s expectation of a titleholder. She must also set an example of someone who has passion and initiative regarding her chosen Social Impact Issue. 

Miss Moorhead must also conscientiously prepare to compete for the State title of Miss Minnesota in 2023. She should consider her preparation her duty to represent all the young women in her state to the absolute best of her ability. She must make the time in her busy life to hone her skills in Interview, Talent, and Evening Wear presentations, as well as keep up a healthy lifestyle and fitness program. She should be sure her State paperwork is thoroughly and correctly completed, and submitted on time.  She must be able to undertake all of these responsibilities while she continues to maintain her scholastic and/or professional commitments. while making time to enjoy her family and friends.

A Miss Moorhead’s Year of Service should be an exciting, busy, and important year in her life. She is an exceptional, charismatic young professional woman who leaves an inspiring and enduring impression on everyone she meets.

Eligibility Requirements
Miss Age Requirements*
MISS Candidates 18-28​ Birth year:  1996 - 2006 for 2024 state & 2025 national  competition​
​MISS Candidates must be high school graduates or have passed the high school equivalency examination (G.E.D.) by the date of the finals of the State Pageant of the year in which they would
be eligible to compete in the National Finals
of the Miss America Pageant.

Residence
Rules for Residency 
1) Reducing the six-month residency requirement to thirty (30) days prior to a local competition and ninety (90) days prior to a state competition without locals;
2) Eliminating the requirement to complete at least one semester and allowing college/university acceptance and enrollment to physically attend classes; and
3) Reducing the twenty-six weeks of full-time employment to sixty (60) days of continuous full-time employment.  

Citizenship
Must be a citizen of the United States of America at the time she enters her first competition.

Education
Must be a high school graduate or have successfully completed the GED testing program for high school equivalency or have successfully completed the academic requirements for entry into a college/university degree program by July 30th immediately preceding the National Finals.

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