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Between going to school, working as a junior financial advisor, teaching dance and dancing part time, the newly crowned Miss Wayne County Nicole Blaszczyk took some time to chat with Metromix and show that she’s more than just a pretty face.
“I go to Wayne State University,” says the 21-year-old who lives with her brother and mother. “I’m in my senior year there studying marketing, and I’d like to spin it toward sports marketing. I love sports. I’ve grown up with sports. If I’m going to make anything a career, I want it to be sports marketing.”
Blaszczyk, who participated in soccer, swimming, ice skating and gymnastics when she was younger, is also a part-time dancer on the local club scene. The Novi native, who has taken dance for 18 years at Sheryl’s School of Dance in Novi, won the title of 2008 Miss Dance Michigan and earned first place in ballet at Miss Dance of America in February. She has taught tap, ballet, hip-hop and jazz at Sheryl’s School for the last three years.
First of all, congratulations on winning the Miss Wayne County title, that must have been exciting. What did it feel like to win and what happens now?
It was fantastic! I have competed in the pageant for the last couple of years. The first time I was in the pageant, I was first runner up to Kirsten Haglund who is our current Miss America, so if I was going to be runner up to anybody, I guess it was an accomplishment to be runner up to Miss America.
I was also runner up last year (for Miss Wayne County) and the girl that won is now Miss Michigan Ashlee Baracy. I will spend now until June preparing for Miss Michigan. It is a scholarship program and I don’t think people realize the tools that it provides for women to get an education. It provides the opportunity to have a voice and make a difference in the community.
How do you prepare for the Miss Michigan competition?
One of the points of the crown is service. So we spend the next year promoting our personal platform.
I’ll spend my next year promoting empowerment of youth. I’m working with the RubyGirl Teen Program which is a local program here in the Wayne County area (designed for teen girls between the ages of 13-18 to inspire girls to understand their self-worth).
I’m working with different organizations that are trying to send out the message of empowerment to youth like finding your inner voice and being who you are.
We’re also promoting the national platform which is the Children’s Miracle Network. Here it’s Beaumont. I’ll be working with them closely for the next year giving kids in the hospital inspiration.
I feel like a role model. Anytime when you’re working with kids, you’re a role model whether or not you know it. Kids are looking up to you. You really have to make sure you’re a good person inside and out.
How has being crowned Miss Wayne County changed your life?
The access to the community that I didn’t have before; I always had the power to do things, but I guess the crown almost gives me a voice. People would always help me do what I wanted to do, but now that I have this title, it’s a lot easier to try to get people to promote the causes that I’m trying to promote. I have almost a force behind me that motivates people to listen.
Metromix has photographed you out at various nightlife events like Dirty Rocks at the Dirty Martini, South Beach and IndepenDance at the Beach Grill. Can you talk a little bit about those events fit into your life?
With dancing, one of my good girlfriends Natalie does it and whenever she needs my help, she calls me.
I have to be careful because I don’t want people to receive the wrong message that I’m promoting alcohol in any way. It’s a job. I’m part of the entertainment. It’s not a bad thing going out to the clubs and whatnot, but when I’m not doing that I work for a financial company as a junior financial advisor. That’s my real job when I’m not wearing any of my other identities.
I don’t drink and my crown prohibits me too, so it’s good that I’m promoting something that I’m also an advocate of.
When you’re not volunteering, working or going to school, where are people most likely to find you?
When I’m not running here, there and everywhere, I really enjoy spending time with my family; spending time with my friends. I love just sitting around talking and, of course, going shopping. I love being outside. I love the winter. I love summer. I love being active. I love working out. I love going to sporting events –Tigers games, Michigan football...
I love sushi, and I love Mon Jin Lau. I also love going to Ann Arbor or Royal Oak where they just have small coffee shops and sandwich shops and people watch. I love going downtown in Detroit.
For more information on Miss Wayne County Nicole Blaszczyk visit www.misswayneco.com.
