Miss Michigan for America Strong Visits Island, Shares Goal To ‘Be of Service’

Da’Stanza Murphy, Miss Michigan for America Strong, rides in the Mackinaw Memorial Parade Saturday, May 27, with her mom Brenda Murphy in the front seat. RIGHT: Da’Stanza Murphy was excited to visit Mackinac Island Sunday, May 28, to visit Grand Hotel’s Secret Garden. MCKENNA JOHNSON / TOWN CRIER

Da’Stanza Murphy might say she grew up shy, but she isn’t a stranger to the spotlight. When she walked down Mackinac Island’s Main Street Sunday, May 28, with a sparkling crown on her head and wearing a glittering sash, she smiled and took it in stride when tourists turned their heads, asked her to double back, and snapped a photograph. It isn’t every day that Miss Michigan for America Strong visits the Island.

Just the day before, Saturday, May 27, Miss Murphy sat atop a sleek black car holding a large bouquet of flowers in one of the first entries to make its way down the parade route of the Mackinaw Memorial Parade in Mackinaw City. It drew hundreds of people to the area for the festivities planned around Memorial Day weekend.

“The parade was amazing,” Miss Murphy said. “Everyone was just so welcoming.”

Miss Murphy is from Taylor and now lives in Dearborn. Earlier this month, Miss Murphy competed and won the Miss Michigan for America Strong pageant in Plainwell. As the 2023 Miss Michigan for America Strong, she said she was honored to be asked to participate in the Mackinaw Memorial Parade.

“I have family that have [served in] all branches of the armed forces,” Miss Murphy said. “It’s an important time to celebrate and honor that. This weekend, it’s more than just a holiday.”

While she rode in the parade, her mom, Brenda Murphy, got to ride with her and sit in the front seat.

“There are no words to describe it,” said her mom. She said her daughter kept pushing her hand out of the way as she tried to fix her daughter’s hair along the parade route. “[I’m] so happy to be here.”

Miss Murphy has been participating in pageants for about 20 years, competing in her first one when she was 15 and receiving her first title in 2008. Over the years, when she is not a contestant, she has choreographed, helped direct, and been a pageant stagehand.

“It’s a world that I’ve just thrived in, and I’ve always loved,” she said.

Miss Murphy grew up training in all styles of dance, such as ballet, tap, and jazz, as well as Polynesian or Hawaiian. If she wasn’t at the dance studio or on stage, she was singing. Miss Murphy is an operatic mezzo-soprano. Opera singing runs in her blood, she said, as her mom is also a classical singer. Her mom also loved Mozart, so Miss Murphy’s name is derived from Mozart’s wife’s name, Constanze.

Miss Murphy, who works in marketing and communications, said she appreciates that pageantry has helped her with public speaking and volunteerism. It is about the sisterhood and the friendships she has built over the years, and about being a part of something inclusive that brings people together. It is also about having a platform to support and uplift different organizations. For Miss Murphy, she works to mentor, help, and uplift young girls with what she calls, “Mentoring a Younger Me.”

“I’m here to be of service,” Miss Murphy said. “That’s really what goes into being a title holder.”

This year was her second time competing in the Miss Michigan for America Strong pageant, which is part of another pageant called Mrs. Michigan-America. The pageants allow women who may have traditionally aged out of other pageant systems to return and participate again. For example, Miss Murphy specifically loves showing her five-year-old nephew he can do anything he wants to do. Later this summer, she will go to Las Vegas for the national competition.

“Anyone can be in a pageant,” Miss Murphy said. “You can do anything you put your mind to.”

When Miss Murphy finally made it here May 28, she stepped off a Star Line Mackinac Island ferryboat greeted by applause and cheers on the dock. They even let her drive the boat on the way over. Her arms were tired from holding the bouquet during the parade, she said, but nevertheless, she was looking forward to exploring the Island and seeing the sights and enjoying time with her mom. She was particularly determined to find Grand Hotel’s Secret Garden.

“Thank you for representing us!” one tourist yelled out as Miss Murphy walked up the sidewalk along Marquette Park.

“Memorial Day is a moment that everybody and anybody should reflect on,” Miss Murphy said. “I’m happy to be a part of that and showcase that American spirit.”