Alumna crowned Miss Missouri, will compete for Miss America title in September

The new Miss Missouri is a Northwest Missouri State University alumna.

Courtney Rowe, who graduated from the University in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in mass media with a broadcast production emphasis, was crowned Saturday night at the culmination of the annual state competition in Mexico, Missouri.

As a Kansas City native, Rowe competed this year as Miss Kansas City and was awarded the Miss Missouri title in the competition with 20 other women who won local pageants. 

“Making it to the top five, that’s a huge deal in and of itself, so I was just really shocked to have made it that far,” said Rowe, who competed for Miss Missouri for the fifth time this year and finished as the second runner-up last year. “Once I made it to the top five, I was like, ‘You know, whatever happens from here.’ I had an overwhelming sense of calm, and I was like, ‘You know, at this point, they either know if they want me to be Miss Missouri or they don’t. So I’m just going to be myself and just stay calm and try to override that anxiety.’”

Rowe is now looking forward to competing for the Miss America crown in September in Orlando, Florida. She will compete with 51 other women who represent each of the United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

While Miss America is founded on five pillars – scholarship, service, style, success and sisterhood – Rowe takes the most pride in her community service work and actively volunteers in northwest Missouri communities. That includes regular volunteering with North Star Advocacy Center in Maryville as well as the YWCA shelter in St. Joseph.

Rowe’s service focus this year advocates for victims of domestic violence, and she worked this spring with children in St. Joseph to make Easter baskets.

“When we talk about domestic violence, it’s really heavy; it’s really not fun conversations that we’re having,” Rowe said. “So to do something more lighthearted for the kids who are going through those situations, that was just so fun for me.”

As Miss America emphasizes scholarship, the Miss Missouri organization awarded about $85,000 in scholarships this year. Rowe received $14,000 from Miss Missouri and has accumulated more than $25,000 in scholarships from pageant competitions that she will invest in furthering her education.

“It’s made learning accessible for women,” Rowe said. “All of these pillars, they really do bring out the best, because you’re getting passionate young women who want to change the world and help each other out and uplift each other. I may be the one that’s now wearing the crown, but I really do feel like every single girl that I competed with would have been just as capable.”

Rowe selected Northwest to pursue her bachelor’s degree after finding an interest in broadcasting as a high school student. She also had developed a love for the stage as a dancer and theatre performer. Rowe’s high school broadcasting teacher – with some nudging from her Northwest graduate mom, Michele – advised her to check out the University in Maryville.

“Spring semester of my senior year (in high school), I was dead set on not going to college,” Rowe recalled. “I was like, ‘I’m gonna move to New York. I’m gonna pursue acting and dancing full-time. That’s what I want to do.’ And my broadcasting teacher in high school was like, ‘Maybe you ought to reconsider.’”

Rowe was attracted to the smaller class sizes at Northwest and the opportunities to gain hands-on, profession-based experience as soon as her first year at the University.

She followed through by making quick connections with School of Communication and Mass Media faculty Will Murphy, Adam Bochart and Matt Walker. As a junior at Northwest, in 2022, she landed a job at KQTV in St. Joseph and has been employed there since as a reporter and morning news anchor.

Rowe also was a member of the Bearcat Steppers and Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, and she was president of Northwest’s chapter of It’s On Us, a sexual assault awareness and prevention organization. She held a student employment role at the Student Success Center.

“I wouldn’t have had that if I didn’t pursue my education at Northwest, and I don’t know if I could say I’d have the same opportunity anywhere else,” Rowe said. “I’m very thankful that everything worked out the way it did.”

She says the broadcasting, video production and public speaking skills she honed at Northwest have helped her be successful in not just her professional role but in pageantry, too.

“I 100 percent attribute my success in pageantry to what I learned as a communications major,” Rowe said. “You learn how to communicate effectively and how to build relationships with people. I think my desire to serve my community stems a lot from what I do as a reporter, because as a communications person, you’re a public servant.”