Amber’s Y ears in Review When I was crowned Miss South Dakota in June of 2019, I had no idea what ride of a lifetime I was in for, let alone that I would be serving the Rushmore state in this once-in-a-lifetime role for not just one, but TWO years. The last 730 days have been everything but ordinary and it is hard to comprise the most amazing days of my life thus far into a few paragraphs. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and rocked everyone’s world, plans, and lives, my year as Miss South Dakota began as any standard Miss South Dakota’s year should: spending the 4th of July at Mt. Rushmore, attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, going to bull-riding and concerts at the State Fair… shaking hands, kissing babies, and even getting to “play guitar” on-stage with the Beach Boys! I celebrated Roselyn, the first-ever Miss South Dakota’s 90th Birthday with several forever Miss South Dakotas, joined some of my Miss South Dakota sisters at the induction of Ray Peterson into the South Dakota Hall of Fame and reveal of the Miss South Dakota exhibit, shot a few pheasants in the name of scholarships, and spent time visiting children in the Children’s Miracle Network hospitals with my Miss America sisters in the area- all in-between my school tour visits, two trips to Florida for Miss America’s Outstanding Teen and Miss America Orientation, an adventure in NYC for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and preparing for Miss America. After Miss America in December, things slowed down slightly as I started back at school as a full-time student. Before the pandemic hit in March of 2020, several Miss South Dakotas said goodbye to Shawn Cable during his last day on the news in Sioux Falls. I even got to welcome the new Miss
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