Meet Miss Coon Rapids 2023 Emily Schumacher, who was crowned during the annual pageant at Coon Rapids High School back in February.
"I was like, oh goodness, this has been a dream of mine for so long and I really wanted to be Miss Coon Rapids this year so that I could represent this city."
Schumacher, who lives in Mankato, started competing in the Miss Coon Rapids Pageant in 2019 where she placed as first-runner up. Her talent is tap dance and her platform is called "Heart and Soul: Taking Care of Your Heart and Saving Another's."
"First off, I make it aware that heart health is a thing that we should be focusing on and heart disease and what all comes with that. Then secondly, how to take care of your heart, I give them tips and tricks from eating healthy, exercise, sleep, even oral health is super important. And then finally, learning those life saving skills of CPR and AED."
Schumacher, who's an emergency room technician, recently attended a local CPR training event with Coon Rapids Fire Department. With her help, firefighters demonstrated several life-saving devices used in cardiac situations. This May, Schumacher is applying for medical school and in June she will compete for the Miss Minnesota title.
"People ask me why Coon Rapids when you're from Mankato and I think it's always like broadening out a little bit of your horizon, stepping into a new community, meeting new people and truly just serving."