Following her service time in the United States Air Force, Magen returned to Dell Rapids to raise her family and pursue her education. Intrigued with government, she whole-heartedly pursued a political science degree, taking most classes online or through correspondence to fit it into her family life. In August 2010, after years of persistence and commitment, she earned her degree from the University of South Dakota. “It was one of the goals I set out to accomplish and I felt like I needed to follow it through because I always wanted to do it growing up,” Magen says. “Although I’m not using my degree currently, I’ve earned it and I’m very happy that I achieved it.”
After making her decision to compete in the Mrs. South Dakota Pageant with her family’s full support, Magen didn’t hold back. “My personality is that once I’ve put my mind to it, I give it 100 percent, and that’s what I did,” she says. “I really did feel like I went into it blindly since I’ve never done anything like this before, and I learned my way as I went.” On Jan. 21, 2012, Magen was crowned Mrs. South Dakota at Professional Image Modeling School & Agency in Sioux Falls. “The pageant consists of three components, including an interview with a panel of three judges who question you about family, moral dilemmas and political and current event questions.” She smiles, “I