Annette Olson was Miss North Dakota

Miss North Dakota

The Miss North Dakota competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of North Dakota in the Miss America pageant.- Winners :- External links :*...

 2006 and a contestant in the Miss America 2007

Miss America 2007

Miss America 2007, the 86th Miss America, pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on January 29, 2007, which was a Monday, making it the first time that the pageant was held on a weekday, rather than the traditional Saturday....

 pageant. Claiming the local title “Miss Peace Garden,” Olson promoted a platform for the early detection of breast

Breast

The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...

 and cervical

Cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...

 cancers, which she titled the “Power of Prevention.” Prior to her crowning as Miss North Dakota, Olson was first runner-up in the 2005 Miss North Dakota pageant and competed in a national “Sweetheart” contest. As Miss North Dakota she spoke to approximately 15,000 students in 80 schools.

Education and career

Olson attended Regan Elementary School in Regan, North Dakota

Regan, North Dakota

As of the census of 2000, there were 43 people, 23 households, and 12 families residing in the city. The population density was 42.6 people per square mile . There were 32 housing units at an average density of 31.7 per square mile...

, a one-room building which had an enrollment of approximately 15 students; Olson was the only student in her class.
A self-proclaimed tomboy, she liked to catch gophers, work with animals on the family’s farm, and began wrestling

Wrestling

Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...

 competitively. After the school’s eighth grade graduation in 1997, Olson attended St. Mary’s Central High School in Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...

 and continued her wrestling career - often, the only female competing! In 2001 Olson moved to Moorhead, Minnesota

Moorhead, Minnesota

Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....

 to attend Concordia College

Concordia College, Moorhead

Concordia College is a private liberal arts school located in Moorhead, Minnesota, United States. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and offers bachelors' degrees in the arts and music, as well as a master's degree in education. The college was founded by Norwegian...

, graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 degree in Biology

Biology

Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...

, summa cum laude; she studied abroad at James Cook University

James Cook University

James Cook University is a public university based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The university has two Australian campuses, located in Townsville and Cairns respectively, and an international campus in Singapore. JCU is the second oldest university in Queensland—proclaimed in 1970—and the...

 in North Queensland

North Queensland

North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the state of Queensland in Australia. Queensland is a massive state, larger than most countries, and the tropical northern part of it has been historically remote and undeveloped, resulting in a distinctive regional character and...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 and also visited Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

, East Africa

East Africa

East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...

. In Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at above sea level .-Geology:...

 and toured schools and clinics. Olson ran cross country her junior year and later participated in a marathon. Eventually, she would like to qualify for the Boston Marathon

Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...

.

After graduation, Olson took the position of Field Epidemiologist with the North Dakota

North Dakota

North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

 Department of Health in Bismarck. As an epidemiologist she investigated over 60 communicable diseases in the state of North Dakota, and also gave presentations to health care providers. Currently, she is a health educator for Olmsted County, Minnesota

Olmsted County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 124,277 people, 47,807 households, and 32,317 families residing in the county. The population density was 190 people per square mile . There were 49,422 housing units at an average density of 76 per square mile...

.
In the future Olson would like to attend dental school, practice family dentistry, and work on an American Indian

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 reservation.

Miss North Dakota 2006

On June 10, 2006, Olson was officially crowned Miss North Dakota. As Miss North Dakota Olson participated in nearly 1000 speaking engagements, visiting approximately 80 schools and 15,000 students, promoting the early detection of breast and cervical cancers, as well as participating in the “Eat Smart, Play Hard” campaign; all these speaking events were held while she was still employed full time as an epidemiologist.

Representing North Dakota in the Miss America 2007 pageant in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

, Olson performed the Crystal Gayle

Crystal Gayle

Crystal Gayle is an American country music singer best known for her 1977 country-pop hit, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". An award-winning singer, she accumulated 18 number one country hits during the 1970s and 1980s...

song “Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” for the talent portion.