Traveling from Alpena to Tennessee in the middle of June, 18-year old Madysen Gohl, Miss Michigan Volunteer participated as the youngest contestant in the Miss Volunteer America pageant.
The national pageant is a competition involving 51 young women from across the United States that have demonstrated their commitment to making a positive impact in their communities through volunteer work.
“The fact that I was even able to be there and be on stage and be able to see that happen (the winner being crowned) right in front of me,” she said. “But also like be able to experience the full competition as a whole and being able to meet girls from all around the country. That alone, I couldn't have asked for anything more.”
Although she didn’t place in the pageant, Gohl said it didn’t tarnish her experience one bit. In fact, she became good friends with the other women she spent eight days with which consisted of 15 hour rehearsals – including Miss Volunteer America 2024 Hannah Perrigin.
Gohl quoted the previous winner of MVA, Alexa Knutzen to sum up her takeaway from the experience.
“’God either blesses you with an opportunity or he saves you from an opportunity,’” she said. “And out of 51 girls, obviously only one can win and seeing the support that all was brought to that one winner. I think was huge. … It showed that you can be very supportive in a situation like that and you should be very supportive and just be very thankful for the opportunity.
“… I do believe that there's now another opportunity waiting for me somewhere and I'm very thankful that I was able to have this one to begin with because it opened up so many doors.”
Gohl shared her appreciation not only for the memories she made, but also for the Alpena, Rogers City and Presque Isle communities. Without them, this would have been impossible, she said.
Several local businesses donated $3,000 towards Gohl’s participation in the pageant. Additionally, she had community members donate over $1,000 to her GoFundMe.
“I mean, I can say like, I busted my butt, you know, to try to get that (money) taken care of and get school taken care of and focus on work and whatever, but in the end, it's the way that people have so graciously lent their time and money to me to be able to do it.”
Gohl previously competed in her first pageant called Miss Nautical Coast in Rogers City in 2021 where she was required to complete over 100 hours of community service within three months. She said what made it truly special was when she had families within the community approach her with support.
“I think to me, being identified without the crown on but also as my name and not the title to show that I was able to make an impact and like build a connection with families that I wouldn't have been able to without the pageant experience,” Gohl said. “So I definitely miss that.
She said once she handed her crown to the next pageant winner in 2022, it made her miss the close relationship she had with the community. Even though she still received continuous support as she approached her next pageant in January, Miss Michigan Volunteer.
“People like to think that being from a small town is a disadvantage, and I completely disagree,” Gohl said. “I think it's the biggest advantage because it allows you to make connections and those connections then allow you to represent that community back and help give back to them.”
Gohl said she was excited to participate in what was her second pageant ever because of the focus on volunteerism and serving an initiative based on educating and inspiring the next generation. And sure enough, she won. Even though she shared her doubts considering she was the youngest among the other contestants in their mid-20s. However, she said the reassurance she received from the director helped propel her further.
Soon after, Gohl found herself applying for Miss Volunteer America and was in a similar situation being the youngest out of 50 other women that were in their mid to late twenties.
Being in the Miss Volunteer America pageant, contestants must collaborate with an organization. Staying close to home, Gohl teamed up with the Sunset Project Non-profit organization.
The Sunset Project is a mental health advocacy group local to Alpena that works to educate and serve Northeast Michigan by providing resources and awareness on mental health.
“There's such ties to my heart with it but also ties to theirs and I love the true rawness that they show when they are doing their presentations,” she said. “And they're working within the community, just being real, being truthful.”
The nonprofit mainly consists of people in their 20s,providing an opportunity to connect much easier than a doctor could by showing how common the conversation of mental health is among their peers, Gohl said.
Gohl herself is a student at Grand Valley State University pursuing biomedical sciences and Religious Studies. By the time she is 20, she will be finished with undergrad and then on her way to med school to become a pediatrician – her lifelong dream since she was a baby draped with a toy stethoscope around her neck taking care of her stuffed teddy bear.
Gohl said she can relate to the importance of mental health awareness as it has become an essential part of her life balancing school, work and now pageantry.
“I just wanted to push myself and wanting to try something new and I don't like being comfortable all the time,” she said. “And so this whole experience was definitely pushing myself out of my comfort zone in a good way.”
Gohl recalled an interview question she was asked in the MVA pageant that resonated with her.
“…’if you had a hashtag, what would it be?’ And I said hashtag truth. Because I said, I don't look like this every day. You know, I don't wear the heels. I don't do the makeup all the time. My hair sometimes is up in a messy bun. … I was just my truthful self.
“I'm not that materialistic girl that people like to assign to pageants a lot, but I think really was I was just myself and I just said I'm going to try, I didn't say I was going to be perfect. I just said I was gonna give it my all.”
Gohl said her honesty comes from her working as a full-time student with two jobs.
“That's what I think people need, especially in light to the mental health aspect is people need to see like the realness and the rawness of like yes, I represent a full state and a pageant. … But my life is madness.
“And I'm usually in the library till past midnight at school and like, you need to be real and raw with people in my opinion, and that's what I wanted. And that's what I wanted to show so I was thankful that they allowed me to do that for sure.”