Jami Forseth of Huntley is crowned Miss Montana USA 2021. (Picture courtesy of Jami Foresth)
Jami Forseth, a Huntley Project High School graduate, was crowned Miss Montana USA 2021 on September 27, 2020. Forseth will represent Montana in the Miss USA pageant held in the fall of 2021.
Jami’s pageant experience began when she was 13 or 14 years old as she watched her sister, Mikal, compete and place in the top five in a Miss Montana USA pageant. She said she was hooked. She entered her first competition in 2015, and was awarded first runner-up in the Miss Teen Montana Pageant. The following year, she was crowned Miss Montana Teen USA. After taking a few years off, she entered the Miss Montana USA pageant in 2019 and was the fourth runner-up. Named the first runner-up in 2020, she went on to win the title for 2021. “It took a lot of hard work and dedication to reach my goal,” stated Forseth.
When she was twelve years old, Jami earned her black belt in Chi-Tu-Do, a martial art system that combines techniques and movements from Taekwondo, Kung Fu, Ju Jitsu and Eskrima. After escaping an abusive relationship at the age of 19, she wanted to take her life back. Jami decided to become a certified Krav Maga instructor. After seeing how many women, especially those who had dealt with abuse in their past, were uncomfortable attending a self-defense class taught by a man, Forseth created POWERPresence. POWERPresence is a free class designed to help women discover their strength and self-worth through learning self-defense. She is a strong woman who wants to give the same strength and power to the women across the state and country, and plans to use her platform to advocate for women who would like to find that same confidence.
Jami is not only an advocate for the women in her community, but she also has participated in a mission trip to Honduras with her Church. While there, the team built a community center for the women and children. In a video introduction for the pageant, Jami explained that while she was growing up, she had foster siblings which made her learn a valuable lesson of how much a person can affect a child’s life. Because of these experiences, she also became a CASA, a court appointed special advocate for the children in foster care.
Jami is an animal lover, and her love for animals led her to pursue a career in canine rehabilitation to help dogs regain mobility following an injury or accident. She hopes to continue on to become certified in equine rehabilitation as well. Forseth is a strong, confident, and focused young woman who has put in a lot of work to achieve her goal and hopes to be able to achieve her next goal: winning the title of Miss USA 2021 and representing the USA at Miss Universe 2021.
Certain adjustments had to be made this year’s pageant due to COVID-19. Masks were recommended when the contestants were not on stage, and all common areas were sprayed down. Temperatures were taken, and registration was limited to a small number at a time. According to Forseth, however, this did not hinder bonds of friendship from being formed. “We still got to know each other and became friends. Our group had a message group, and we were very active on there. We were still able to visit and get to know each other when we were backstage. I don’t think it really changed much in how close the girls got.”
When asked if she has any advice for someone who might be interested in entering a pageant, Jami said, “You never feel like you are ready; you always feel like there is more preparation you need to do. But just do it. I’m so glad that I entered when I did, even though I didn’t win. I have grown so much throughout this experience and have made so many friends and connections. I’m kind of glad I didn’t win right away so that I could continue to grow. Just take that leap!” For additional information regarding POWER Presence or to request a class, visit Instagram @Powerpresencemontana. Watch for announcements regarding the location and timing for the Miss USA 2021 pageant in the fall of 2021.
