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As a little girl in Roseburg, Oregon, Raechel Warren loved to watch the Miss America pageant. Though her first love was soccer, an injury would ultimately set her on the path to becoming one of those very women whose poise, grace and intellect she admired as they competed for the crown. And she is on her way to competing in Miss America, December 31-January 5 in Orlando, Florida. 

After competing twice in Miss Oregon, being crowned Miss Seattle and the 2024 Miss Nebraska, Warren’s entry into the pageant world can be traced to the soccer pitch.

Following a soccer injury a friend suggested she enter a pageant. Intrigued, Warren saw it as a way to earn scholarships that would help pay for her education, while also bolstering her skills in public speaking and community outreach. It would also be a chance to share to a wider audience her talent—artistic roller skating (think the beauty and artistry of ice skating but on wheels)—that she’s been cultivating since the age of 3. “I cannot imagine my life without skating,” says Warren, a two-time National Roller Skating Champion.

A first-generation transfer student, Warren graduated from the Albers School of Business and Economics with an Economics degree (and a minor in Business Administration) in 2019. When picking a school Warren says she was drawn to SU for its program offerings, small class size and holistic approach to educating students. During her time here she was also involved in Athletics—in part to return to a familiar culture from her days playing soccer—where she was a student worker and later a full-time administrative assistant, a role she served in for two years. Though she earned a business degree, her focus was in health economics and post-graduation, Warren worked at Seattle Children’s Hospital. But she was feeling the pull of her roots—growing up in Roseburg, the daughter of small business owners in the agricultural sector—which precipitated a career change and a move to the Midwest. 

Specifically, Warren relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, a city and area of the country she first became acquainted with as the site of roller skating competitions in her youth—a talent that would factor greatly into her pageant success. More on that later. 

“I wanted to get back to agriculture and find a way to give back to the ag community,” she says of her desire to return to Nebraska. “I now work with farmers, producers and carriers, with a focus on supply chain and the business side of farming, with Scoular.” Her specific role at Scoular is Trade Facilitation Specialist, a position that allows her to tap into her economics degree and build experience that will be useful as she seeks to ultimately obtain a master’s degree in agricultural studies. “I want to be a role model for other young women in the agricultural industry, to show them that there is space for them in this field and their skills are needed.” 

And just like the women of Miss America she admired as a child now Warren is undoubtedly a role model to a new generation through her work both in pageants and as a woman in a male-dominated field.

Although she is no stranger to winning pageants, what did it feel like when her name was called as this year’s Miss Nebraska?  

“I remember holding hands with my sash sister and … when they called my name, I started just shaking, crying, looking at my family and saying, ‘we did it.’ It was really special,” Warren recalls. “It was very emotional. I could not stop crying.”

Being Miss Nebraska goes beyond just handshakes, emceeing events and appearances at county fairs or parades—though those are part of the responsibility that comes with the crown. For Warren, her platform is two-fold: mentoring young people and spreading the joy that is artistic roller skating. On the former, Warren says she drew on her own experiences while a student at SU when it comes to encouraging others to get involved and lifting people up.  

“Really my focus this year is on promoting mentorship across our state. My platform is Passion to Purpose,” she says. “I recognized that I had mentors around me who helped draw out my gifts when I was recovering from my injury and I want to, through Passion to Purpose, tell students that they have a purpose, that they are here for a reason.”

A benefit of pageants, in addition to putting forward a platform that can have a wide reach and be transformational, is the scholarships that come with a win. For Warren, winning Miss Seattle helped her pay off student loans from SU. The scholarship from Miss Nebraska will support Warren’s graduate school plans. 

In addition to advocating for young people, in particular, to connect with mentors she also brings her artistic roller skating to audiences young and old alike. 

When skating, Warren’s choice of music—both in competition and pageants—features a lot of Queen and classic ‘80s rock, with some Celine Dion mixed in. “My quote when it comes to skating is ‘there she skates.’ I take my skates to wherever I go.”

The economics degree from SU will factor into her graduate studies. She will be pursuing a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which aligns with her interests in the business side of the agricultural industry and the ability to forecast future trends or lead farm management. “Farmers are the lifeblood of our country,” says Warren. “I really love process improvement and helping people and want to be involved in something that makes the lives of farmers and ranchers easier.” 

At age 28 Warren has “aged out” of the pageant system so when she officially finishes her service as Miss Nebraska in June 2025 she will essentially retire from pageants. 

When she is looking for a jolt of inspiration or a steadying headspace she thinks of her favorite quote from Walt Disney: “If you can dream it, you can do it,” a motto she leans into. 

“Dream big, ask questions and don’t be afraid to help someone else.”