Marking her debut as Miss Southeastern 2022, Megan Elizabeth Magri was crowned on Feb. 17, 2022, but what makes Magri our new queen?

She is many things, from driven to creative to family-oriented, making Magri the perfect symbol for Miss SLU. 

As a sophomore majoring in health sciences and dance, Magri chose to attend Southeastern like her sister after she fell in love with the campus and its environment. 

“I came to Southeastern because it was that happy medium of what I was looking for in a school like the happy distance. It also has provided a fostering and loving environment,” Magri said.

Magri said she believes family is the number one motivation in her life. She has one sister with a two and half year age gap that has not stopped their friendship. 

“If I didn’t have my strong support system and my number one supporters, I don’t know where I would be today and everything I do, I do for them,” Magri said.

Even her reason for running for Miss Southeastern was inspired by her family. During her senior year of high school, Magri’s father was deployed, and after always being in the crowd for her 18 years of dancing, he was unable to watch her last performance. 

After learning about Miss Southeastern, she found the perfect opportunity to dance for her father again on stage. Magri finished first above her competition not only overall but in the talent portion. With her years of experience, Magri handmade her dance outfit for the event.

Leading by the example set by her family, Magri remains intentional about treating people with kindness and making people feel heard.

She said, “I’ve always grown up in a loving and caring family environment and I’m so fortunate for that because coming into college I realized, like, that’s not the case for everyone. So as Miss Southeastern, whatever I can do to make the students feel loved and feel heard and supported.” 

Magri made her first-time appearance in the pageant world last year for Miss Southeastern 2021. After falling short, she returned the following year to be crowned the winner. 

To prepare for Miss SLU, Magri prepared for 14 months and throughout that time she met with a dietitian. Magri took the time to focus on her mental and physical health. She learned how to eat and promote a healthy lifestyle as well as meeting with a personal trainer to further influence healthy lifestyles. 

Although performing for her father again was the initial motivation for joining the competition, Magri learned of the opportunities that come with being Miss SLU. 

“I realized how great it is. It’s a scholarship competition and I’m able to go to school debt-free and it’s a year of service. So my dad got to see me dance, I have free tuition and I’m a servant leader now. Everything I do is for the people and the community, so that’s my main motivation now,” Magri added.