PHILLIPS — After serving as Miss Czech-Slovak Wisconsin for 2023, Trinity Pesko is now Miss Czech-Slovak U.S. after winning the two-day national competition at Wilbur, Nebraska on Aug. 4.
In addition to the title of Queen, Pesko also won other competitions at the national event including the Oratory Award, the Grand Talent Award, the Kroj Family Story Award, and the Sokol Award. The total prize package comes to $3,600 in cash, and $2,500 travel stipend fortravel to Czechia (Czech Republic) and Slovakia.
The title also brought some bling, including three pieces of traditional Bohemian garnet jewelry and three Bohemian crystal vases. She also has use of the John Fiala Crown and the Bohemian Crystal Tiara for her year of reign.
“I hope the judges appreciated the efforts I’ve put towards the Phillips Czech-Slovak Festival and the Miss Czech-Slovak Wisconsin pageant,” Pesko said. “But, more than that, I hope the people of Wisconsin and our community are inspired to become more involved with their heritage. Our heritage is part of what makes us unique, and it is something to be celebrated.”
A trained soprano, Pesko prepared a rare vocal arrangement of Antonin Dvorak’s “Humoresque” for the talent portion of the competition.
The composition for violin solo with orchestra was given an arrangement for a vocalist in 1932, Pesko said. However, as it was not very popular at the time it has not become widely known.
“I happened to be gifted an original copy of the sheet music by the founder of the Miss Czech-Slovak Wisconsin pageant, Toni Brendel,” Pesko said. “She suggested I sing it for nationals, and I fell in love with the piece.”
Brendel added that she believed Pesko’s talent, bright disposition, passion for her heritage and belief in the importance of the Czech-Slovak festival would reflect on the judges in Nebraska.
“She is a charmer and we knew she had the chance, and she did it,” Brendel said.
Pesko’s kroje (traditional dress) also distinguished her in the pageant. It replicated the style of a Trnavsky kroje from Slovakia, which is the region where Pesko’s family comes from and where the kroj are slightly less known in the United States. Pesko and her mother identified the style, found the materials and sewed the kroj together as is the tradition for mothers and daughters to do.
“It took my mom and I awhile to figure out what kroje looked like in this region,” Pesko said. “In addition to trying to create a faithful replica of kroje from this region, we added special touches to honor my family. I hand stitched Czech glass seed beads in the shape of grain and grapes, two crops significant in Slovakia, to honor my family’s history in agriculture.”
Pesko chose a fabric and ribbon with an oak leaf pattern for her vest. It represents Dubova, the town in Slovakia where her ancestors immigrated from, and translates as “Oak Grove” in English. There are also a variety of symbolic flowers embroidered along the border of the apron to honor her grandparents.
Already a very eventful year for Pesko, of Phillips, who in late 2023 graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Millikin University in Illinois. After teaching for three months in Italy, Pesko accepted a music teacher position starting this school year with the Phillips Public School District.
“I definitely believe my time on the stage has helped me prepare for this pageant,” Pesko said. “I am very comfortable speaking and performing in front of large crowds.”
The duties of the national queen are similar to what Pesko experienced with her state title in terms of travel and attending events. The difference on the national level, she said, will be a wider circle of festivals and heritage events.
“I will be encouraging young women from across the nation to connect with their heritage, and become involved in the national pageant system,” Pesko said. “Like the Wisconsin pageant, luckily the National Pageant Committee is very understanding of my busy schedule and largely leaves which events I attend up to me. However, as this is something I’m very passionate about, I hope to do as much as time will allow.”
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