Ex-Miss Ill. still focused on kids
Heidi Ekstrom gave up her crown, but not her mission.
The 25-year-old Mundelein resident who relinquished her Miss Illinois title in June continues to pursue her goal of enriching the lives of children with disabilities.
That was the platform she chose for the Miss America Pageant, where she was eliminated in the top 10 semifinalist round in January.
Before she became Miss Illinois, Ekstrom helped organize a pageant at Mundelein High School dubbed "Miss You Can Do It" for girls with disabilities.
"I'm hoping to continue that sometime in the future," she said.
Ekstrom's inspiration was her sister, Katrina, who is mentally disabled and held the "Miss You Can Do It" title in Kewanee, Ill.
"I just saw the self-esteem boost in her and the confidence it gave her," she said. "My mother and I wanted to be able to give that to girls in our area."
During her Miss Illinois reign, Ekstrom was a spokeswoman for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the American Heart Association, speaking at area schools and charity events. She partnered with the American Heart Association on campaigns and remains a spokeswoman for the group.
She is also featured in a video sponsored by the Special Recreation Association of Illinois that will be distributed to park districts throughout the state encouraging them to start special recreation associations.
In July, Ekstrom participated in her first mission trip with junior high and high school students to Aguascalientes, Mexico. The trip was organized by The Chapel of Lake County, a multi-site church.
"It was an amazing experience," she said. "Mainly, we were helping out in communities and doing whatever the church said was needed."
Ekstrom led a team of students in service projects such as cleaning, pouring concrete at homes and helping build a new church.
"When you go out there and see these people who don't have very much and you know who are living in substandard housing, you realize how blessed we are here in the U.S.," she said.
Today, Ekstrom lives with her parents, Peggy and David Ekstrom, in Mundelein and attends graduate school at Northern Illinois University.
She is pursuing a master's degree in art education, and plans to teach high school photography or art in Lake County. Presently, she is a substitute teacher at Mundelein High School.
She has a year and a half of coursework and student teaching to complete.
"I hope to teach in Lake County," she said. "There are a lot of great schools in the area."