• Rebecca Shanks and Adalaide Roberts will compete for national title in August.

Two Star Valley women came away as winners over the weekend during the 2023 Wyoming America Pageant held in Casper. Rebecca Shanks of Star Valley Ranch was named Mrs. Wyoming America while Adelaide Roberts of Etna was named Miss Wyoming for America Strong. Both will compete for the national title later this summer.

“This weekend was a once in a lifetime, incredible experience for me,” stated Shanks in a social media post after winning the crown. “Before I was crowned as 2023 Mrs. Wyoming America, I was presented with the honor and gift of the Congeniality award. I was so surprised and delighted. I have so much respect for these incredible and beautiful women I had the privilege of meeting this weekend”

Shanks later told SVI Media that she plans on getting right to work on her platform that she presented to the judges, which includes feeding hungry families and helping create access to public lands that is currently blocked by private land. “Trying to encourage private landowners to allow public land users access to public lands that otherwise are checkerboarded and not available to us, even though they are public lands.”

Roberts, who recently returned from San Jose, California where she served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said she was looking for what the next steps of her life should be and this pageant seemed to be the perfect fit.

“I was looking for a purpose in life and a way to good,” said Roberts, who plans to work with her cousin Tyler Scwab and his group Libertas International. “On my mission, I saw a lot of sex trafficking going on, and I had a lot of crazy experiences where I just felt so helpless. This is how I can not be helpless. I’ve seen so much so now I can speak out about it.”

LIBERTAS INTERNATIONAL WORKS TO REUNITE FAMILIES FOR MOTHERS DAY – 

The pageant included various categories that contestants competed in, including a judges interview, fitness or swimsuit, evening gowns and an on-stage question. Both Shanks and Roberts are now preparing for August 24 and 26, where they will represent Star Valley and the State of Wyoming during the National America Pageant, which will be held in Las Vegas.

Photos courtesy of Katie Roberts – Lampshade Studios