MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - A former Miss America and Wausau native will take the podium as the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s winter commencement keynote speaker, UW officials announced Wednesday.

Grace Vanderhei, a 2023 nuclear engineering graduate and Miss America 2023, will return to her alma mater for the December 14 ceremony. She says the feelings from graduation have stuck with her.

“Madison is a place where I found a community in friends and professors and in shared experiences,” Vanderhei said. “I remember that about graduation, the camaraderie and friendship I felt celebrating with all those people who had come together in four years.”

UW-Madson Senior Class President Caasi Woji helped pick this year’s speaker. Woji says she is excited to hear what Vanderhei has to say.

“We kno

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