Madison Nero is a recent Michigan State University graduate with a degree in advertising management. Nero is currently representing Miss Capital City as she competes for Miss Michigan 2026 as part of the Miss America Opportunity.

Some of my earliest memories of creating started at my vanity.

I would sit for hours doing my makeup, testing looks, filming videos and posting them online. At the time, it felt like a creative outlet. In reality, it was more than that. It was an escape from an environment at home that did not always feel safe, and a space where I could control something, express myself and start to build confidence on my own terms.

I did not know it then, but that is where everything started.

My path to Michigan State was not linear. I began at a small school close to home in New York, then continued at community college before transferring to MSU. By the time I arrived, I had already learned how to adapt, how to keep going and how to build something for myself, even when the path was unclear.

At MSU, I found the language for what I had been doing all along.

As an advertising management major, I learned how to take creativity and give it structure, how to understand people, shape messaging and create content that connects. That foundation now carries directly into my career. I work in social media and content creation as an account executive at an advertising agency, where I concept and shape short-form content that aligns with culture and connects with real audiences in real time.

At the same time, I was building something of my own.

This year, I am competing within the Miss America Opportunity as Miss Capital City, preparing for Miss Michigan. What drew me to this experience is what it represents: scholarship, service, style and success. It has challenged me to lead with purpose, to use my voice and to show up in a way that creates real impact.

That is where More Than Makeup comes in.

What started at my vanity has grown into a women’s empowerment initiative centered on confidence, creativity and conversation. Through GRWM-style interviews and conversations with women, I have created a space where people feel seen and heard. It is not about appearance. It is about creating moments where someone can look in the mirror and feel more confident in who they are.

That same purpose carries into everything I do. From collaborating on The Story of You palette with LadyCode, to advocating for climate policy on Capitol Hill through Citizens’ Climate Lobby, to working with nonprofit organizations, I have learned that your voice matters when you choose to use it.

Michigan State did not give me my voice, but it taught me how to use it more.

It gave me the confidence to take what started as something small and turn it into something meaningful, something that reaches beyond me.

Because where you start matters.

But what matters even more is how you grow from it and what you choose to do with it.

And for me, that means showing up, speaking up, and leading with purpose and with love.