Small town girl pursues big dream

– Morgan Kofoid was born in Nebraska but moved to Leon as an infant. She grew up in the small town learning “small town values” amid an agricultural background.

But Kofoid was harboring big dreams.

“I think it was like a subconscious dream that I didn’t even know I had,” she said. “Since I was 15 and competed at Miss Iowa Teen for the first time, I knew that I wanted to someday compete for Miss USA ... and represent the state of Iowa.”

A Facebook post led her to that Miss Teen Iowa USA contest when she was 15. And she won sponsored by local businesses and wearing a borrowed prom dress.

After her year as Miss Teen Iowa, Kofoid was too young to go on to Miss USA so she took a few years off from the pageant world. The first year she was eligible, she was a freshman in college and too busy and “broke” to compete.

The next three years she entered the contest, placing third, missing the cut off for finals, and then third again. Kofoid didn’t plan to compete again in 2019 but decided to at the last minute.

She credits the fact that her focus had not been on being the “perfect” contestant as the reason she won.

“I wasn’t trying to be perfect and everything the judges wanted,” Kofoid said. “I just showed up as myself.”

Growing up

Although she did not yet know she would go so far in the pageant world, Kofoid’s mother knew she was a special since she was 2 years old.

“From when I was 2, I did the cutest baby contest and my mom knew that I was going to be a handful and a performer,” Kofoid said. “While all the other kids were not getting off their parent’s laps, I got up off of my mom’s lap and started blowing kisses at the judges.”

As the youngest of four, Kofoid enjoyed being the center of attention.

“I was the attention seeker out of my siblings because I was the baby,” she said. “They’re kind of used to me doing the modeling and the pageants.”

Dance and sports kept Kofoid busy as a teen. She was also a member of 4-H, showing a steer, Big Red, at county fair one year. Selling her steer at auction was “devastating” for her though so she did not do that again.

“He was like a big dog, so I couldn’t do that anymore; I didn’t have the heart for it,” she said.

Kofoid continued to model, saying that the Miss Teen Iowa pageant opened a lot of doors for her.

After high school, she went off to college at the University of Iowa, her one and only choice of schools, entering the nursing department and then graduating December 2019.

She was crowned Miss Iowa USA in October of last year, the fourth person to have held both Miss Teen Iowa and Miss Iowa. Kofoid is also the longest reigning Miss Iowa due to COVID-19 restrictions that delayed the 2020 pageant.

Kofoid has been busy working as a nurse at University of Iowa Hospitals, attending functions as Miss Iowa and preparing for Miss USA, but she took time to go back to Leon to participate in the 2020 homecoming festivities.

Miss USA

Although Kofoid just left for Memphis this past weekend, the Miss USA contest has already begun. Due to COVID-19 restrictions the administrators decided to do the interview portion remotely ahead of the rest of the pageant.

Normally that happens at the venue,” she said. “That was unique in the sense that I never imagined my Miss USA interview would be on the computer from my hallway in my apartment ... in my comfy chair, with slippers.”

Kofoid said she appreciated the fact that the interview took place via Zoom.

“It was comforting that I was able to be at home doing this interview,” she said. “They did so great making us feel comfortable. ... ‘It’s just going to be about you, the things that are important to you.’”

The pageant will be televised Nov. 9.

“Growing up in a town of 2,000 people I never thought that I would be competing for Miss USA on national television,” Kofoid said.

True to her small town roots, Kofoid said she will be sporting a Central Decatur mask in Memphis during the Miss USA contest.

“I’m proud to be representing such a close-knit community that helped raise me,” Kofoid said.