Miss Oshkosh's
Outstanding Teen 2020
Paige Nikodem
Hello Oshkosh! I am Paige Nikodem, your Miss Oshkosh’s Outstanding Teen 2020.
When I was younger, I saw the ladies who had won the title of Miss Oshkosh and Miss Oshkosh’s Outstanding Teen and I was always in awe of them. I always thought of those ladies as celebrities, and that having the title was something not an ordinary person could do. I knew about the Miss America program, I just never thought that I could be a part of something that incredible. It wasn’t until my freshman year that I saw my friends competing for the title, and I knew I could do it too. Through the Miss America program, I have learned so many life lessons and have met so many incredible people, including lifelong friends.
My sister and I began baton twirling together at a very young age. I started when I was just two and a half years old, so I have now been dancing for 15 years. Dancing started out as a hobby, but it has now become my sole passion. I have had many incredible experiences because of my baton twirling career, like being on Team USA and traveling internationally, to performing at Disney World and Universal Studios.
I chose my platform to honor my grandpa who passed away a few years ago due to cancer. I was very close with my grandpa, and losing him was extremely difficult for both me and my family. My grandpa is the one who took me to my first years of dance classes, and he was someone who always pushed me to do my best, but was always proud of me no matter the outcome. Through my platform, I hope to support and advocate for cancer patients and their mental health. I’ve experienced this firsthand, watching someone you love going through cancer isn’t easy. My main goal is to spread awareness and bring some light and hope to their lives.
Through my year of service, I hope to bring awareness to cancer patients and their mental health by talking to cancer patients, informing others on what they can do for cancer patients, have fundraisers, and make things like blankets and cards to send to them during their stays in the hospital and to also bring home with them. After COVID, I would like to be able to go into cancer centers and sit with patients during their treatments. After my year of service, I will continue to advocate and work with cancer patients by volunteering at hospitals (after COVID when it is safe to do so), and talking with patients during their treatments, and continuing to show my support for them while getting others in my community to do the same.