After seeing her dance teacher Kristina Smaby win Miss Wisconsin in 2009, ten-year-old Jordenne Butler knew she wanted to follow in Smaby’s footsteps.
“I like to say a seed was planted in my heart,” Butler told The Daily Cardinal.
Since 2012, the Onalaska native has competed in pageants, earning titles like Miss Wisconsin’s Teen 2015, Miss La Crosse Oktoberfest 2019, Miss Onalaska and Miss River City.
On June 20, she added a new title: Miss Wisconsin 2026.
Butler was one out of 32 contestants who competed in the Miss Wisconsin pageant in New Berlin, winning three major preliminary awards for talent, evening gown and health and fitness.
Now, she will represent Wisconsin as she competes for the Miss America 2026 title on Labor Day weekend in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
How long did it take you to prepare for this year’s pageant?
This year, I wanted to change my mindset: not just focusing on preparing for a competition, but making it more of my everyday lifestyle.
Instead of thinking “I have to work out every day because there's a fitness element” — No, I want to work out because I like moving my body, and it feels better when I move it every day. Instead of thinking “I have to drill my talent” every day, finding that love again for the art of dance and loving to dance and perform. I love going to the studio because that was a second home to me growing up all of these years, and I love the artistry that comes with dance. Staying up to date on the news, not just because I want to be able to answer a question if I get asked it, but because it would be good for me to know what's going on in the world. I want to be worldly and be able to be knowledgeable on these topics.
Were there any difficult moments throughout the preparation process this year?
I think there are always moments when self-doubt creeps in. Am I doing enough? Am I preparing the right way? But trusting yourself, your process and having a supportive team around you — it is truly so important, to have people that push you, but also that fill your cup when it's needed.
I like to call them my personal board of directors. Organizations have their board of directors, [and] they turn to those individuals in times of need or for decision making. I have my own personal board of directors and I know who to turn to for what, and that can help guide me.
What was something that you learned in competitive dance that you were able to carry on with you in pageant competing?
The overarching theme of perseverance through trials and tribulations — of not moving up in a level, or not getting my pointe shoes right away. I learned that perseverance is key. You can't just wish for something, you have to put hard work into it.
Those skills definitely set me up for success, not only competing for Miss Wisconsin but really in everyday life. Hard work and perseverance can trump all.
What is your favorite part about Onalaska?
I think sometimes you take it for granted, but Onalaska is such a tight-knit community. My family learned that when my father battled Stage 4 head and neck cancer, and we got to see firsthand the community come together to support us. That was so special.
I also love Lake Onalaska. Growing up on the water, we're so lucky to be right by the Mississippi River. Any chance of getting to be on the water, that's anytime you know we drive by. I live right by the Big Lake Onalaska fish – which is on one of our highways, that's a key area. But Onalaska is just so special because we're a small but tight-knit community.
I am so proud to be from Onalaska, being born and raised here. But I think it took me a little bit of time. I moved away right after I graduated high school for a little bit, then came back into the area and I'm super grateful for that time I was away, because it allowed me to see the true beauty.
With your role, what is the biggest responsibility that you take seriously?
One of the cool parts of competing with Miss America is that each title holder gets their own community service initiative that can be anything that they are passionate about and want to speak on. Mine is ‘Building Resilience for Healthy Futures’, which provides social awareness and support for children who have faced adversity. It stems from my experience of when my father battled cancer.
Prior to winning Miss Wisconsin, I was a daily skills specialist for a local nonprofit in the La Crosse area, Family and Children’s Center, where I would work directly with children and their families on building daily living skills, and those children are the true inspiration. They teach me so much. That’s what I want my mission of this year to be: building resilience not only in our youth but in all Wisconsinites, knowing that their past does not define them and they deserve a bright, happy and healthy future. They can push back anything, and accomplish what they want.
I'm really excited to kickstart my tour with that work, speak with as many people as possible, and just meet Wisconsinites. In our state, we have so many amazing individuals. I'm excited to travel, to both revisit places that I've been to before and see so many new communities that I haven't gotten the chance to visit before; to meet people, hear their stories and why they love Wisconsin, and learn more about our state throughout this year.
What do you think people misunderstand about pageants and how are you able to break those stereotypes?
I think a common misconception is that it's all about looks and outward beauty, which couldn't be further from the truth. I always like to say to anyone that may have their doubts or question things, talk to someone that competes in Miss America.
I have earned $50,000 in scholarships that help pay for my education at Viterbo University. With the money left over, I'll be able to pursue a master's in public relations. That would not have been possible if it wasn't for the Miss Wisconsin organization and the Miss America opportunity. I think the organization is rooted in community service and the skills that I have gained have helped me not only land internships throughout college but also post grad.
I think there are so many benefits to competing. You don't have to win. Every person in the competition gets a scholarship and skills that can help prepare them for the future.
I hope people that may not understand can see one night of competition and slowly start to learn that it's truly a year of service.
And then, what is the stereotype about pageant women that you refuse to accept?
In the past, I've heard [they are] self-centered. But the people that I have met through this organization are truly some of the most selfless, driven young women.
When you put so many like-minded women in a room together, beautiful things can happen. You may say: it's a competition, isn't it? And yes, we all want to do well for ourselves, but as someone that can speak from competing for multiple years and not walking away as the winner, I have truly been so excited for each person that has won, year after year. Because you get to know each other. You get to know their hearts, how passionate they are about their community service initiatives, and what they're going to do with their year. You can't help but be their biggest cheerleader.
The women in this organization say it's like a sisterhood, which can sometimes sound a little cheesy, but it's the truth. It truly is a sisterhood of people with goals, who are driven, who want to pursue higher education and multiple different career goals, and you just can't help but cheer each other on. I've been a bridesmaid and at friends' weddings that I've met through competing, and built long-lasting relationships.
When they announced that you won, everyone was crowded all around you, and they all were hugging. It was a really supportive and sweet moment.
It was very special. My first runner-up, Christel Rivera, she's one of my really good friends. So getting to have that special moment with her and knowing that no matter who was going to win, it was in great hands. She is such an incredible individual. She is one of the kindest and most bubbly people. When she just enters a room, you just can't help but smile. And so that was a very special moment as well.
Throughout those six years of competing for the Miss Wisconsin title, how do you think you’ve grown emotionally, mentally, or physically?
In so many different ways. Being more sure of myself and knowing that I'm going to prepare the best I can, but at the end of the day, the best thing I can do is be myself. I think in previous years I've tried to act a certain way or talk a certain way because I thought maybe that's what the judges would want to hear or what the board would want, but I found the most success with just being myself. You don't want to copy and paste [the winner] every single year, because each person brings something different to the title and that matters so much. Nobody can be you better than you.
