About Nicole
Nicole Zwiercan
Nicole Zwiercan wears many hats, as well as the crown of Mrs. America. Getting her pageant start only after becoming a “Mrs,” Nicole has seen first-hand the positive impact pageantry has had in her life personally and professionally, but also globally in communities around the world.
Nicole was elected to the Board of Trustees for the Village of Homer Glen in 2021. Most recently, she was honored to have been named the Illinois State Senate Press Secretary. These two positions have perfectly situated her at the table with those who influence law and policy, granting her the unique opportunity to be an ambassador to inspire changes both nationally and around the world. With a background in the Studio Arts, dance, dentistry, and as a reporter, Nicole has a diverse scope of experiences and skill sets, of all of which she feels have prepared her to be her most impactful as a title holder, spokesperson, advocate, and community leader.
The most profound events in Nicole’s life have been giving birth to her beautiful children. Nicole is the mother of two, Cristiano and Ashlynn as well as the wife of Dr. Christopher Zwiercan. Their lives were forever changed when they received their daughter Ashlynn’s Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy diagnosis. Since then, the Zwiercan family has made the decision to proudly advocate for community inclusivity and accessibility, Nicole has dedicated her life’s work to her passion of inspiring a kinder and more inclusive world.
LOCAL and NATIONAL ADVOCACY
Nicole was named the first chairperson of the Homer Glen Ability Awareness Committee, a municipal organization that advocates for disabled individuals. They host monthly events for the Village that range from educational roundtable discussions to free sign-language classes. She is also a co-chair of the Homer Glen Parks Committee which has allowed her to have inclusive and accessible playgrounds built in her community. She is currently working with people from other regions across the nation to do the same. One of her favorite organizations is Unlimited Play Playgrounds, in which Nicole has had the honor of being their keynote speaker for the annual fundraising gala, raising thousands of dollars to help build more inclusive parks in states across the USA.
GLOBAL IMPACT
Nicole is responsible for the first GoTo Inclusive shopping cart in the Midwest. She has partnered with Firefly by Leckey, an organization based in Ireland that has helped her put these specialty shopping carts in 17 states around the USA and counting! They are also found in the UK, Ireland, Germany & France with more global spots planned.
This last year she has joined forces with an all-inclusive education program called “Just say Hi!” run by the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, an organization that enables real world impact by collaborating with researchers, thinkers and other organizations around the world to drive significant changes.
In 2018, Nicole was awarded an international Humanitarian Award for her work within her community and the global impact of her advocacy work.
MRS. AMERICA LEGACY
Nicole was named Mrs. Illinois in June of 2022 for the Mrs. America system. She then went on to win the national title of Mrs. America in August.
She looks forward to partnering with Mrs. America Inc. this year to not only continue inspiring community inclusivity, but also to work with the Mrs. America national platform the Victoria’s Voice Foundation to prevent drug addiction and save lives.
Nicole would also like to help bridge the gaps in the available resources for disabled individuals. Unfortunately, the disabled community is not immune to drug addiction. In fact, new evidence shows that people with disabilities are more likely, and at a higher risk, than the general population to misuse opioids and develop drug addictions. Sadly, they are also much less likely to receive treatment due to the difficulties of access to care. Starting these conversations and working with doctors and treatment care facilities is on her long list of goals this year.
Nicole is honored to representing America at the Mrs. World pageant in December.