Episode 50 -- Grace Stanke

Grace Marie Stanke, born in 2002 in Wausau, Wisconsin, is a nuclear engineer and pro-nuclear energy activist who was crowned Miss America 2023. A classically trained violinist, she began competing in pageants as a teen and eventually became the first woman to hold both Miss Wisconsin and Miss Wisconsin’s Outstanding Teen titles. While earning her bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, she used pageantry to secure scholarships and raise awareness about clean energy. As Miss America, Stanke traveled over 270,000 miles advocating for nuclear power, visiting plants across the U.S., and speaking at major conferences, including COP28. Her reign earned her recognition as “the new face of nuclear energy” by The Wall Street Journal and a spot on Forbes’ 2024 30 Under 30 list. She now works for Constellation Energy and continues her advocacy, recently completing a speaking tour in Australia despite facing political pushback. Today Grace sits down with David to discuss the past, present, and future of nuclear energy.