When Erica Graham was younger, she came across a photo of her mother that piqued her interest. It was an older photo, where she was smiling in a red robe. It was from her pageantry days.
Graham remembered begging to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She agreed, helping Graham participate in Miss USA preliminary pageants — it was something the two could share. Now that she’s grown, Graham’s 3-year-old and 5-year-old daughters are now in pageants as well.
“They’re pretty fun,” Graham said.
While Graham still loves pageants, she explained there aren’t really any pageantry options for married women in Indiana. For now, she said, Mrs. America is the only one with preliminary pageants open to married women.
Graham participated in the competition in April 2023, winning third runner up.
She wasn’t ready to call it quits afterward.
She decided to reach out to United States of America Pageants and requested to participate as this year’s Mrs. Indiana.
Tanice Smith, executive director of United States of America Pageants, explained the program does not yet hold a preliminary pageant in Indiana. Instead, she explained, the organization appoints titleholders after a “rigorous” application and interview process.
Graham is now Mrs. Indiana and will soon compete in the nationwide competition.
“This will be my first national pageant,” Graham said, adding it’ll be her first pageant in over a decade. “I’m excited for that.”
She hopes to use the competition as a springboard to attract more pageantry to Indiana geared toward married Hoosiers. The United States of America Pageants also have “Miss” and teenage divisions, which she hopes to bring to Indiana as well.
“I believe that all married women should have more than one opportunity to showcase who they are,” Graham said.
Other than advocating for pageantry opportunities, Graham said she’s an avid suicide prevention advocate and coaches girls.
“My goal in life is to let girls know that you don’t need to hide who you are to be your authentic self,” Graham said. “That’s pretty much what pageants mean to me.”
Graham and her husband Tyler run Spine Restoration, a chiropractic business based in Marion.
