Miss Asian Chicago
Contestant Spotlight
Ellie
Kuzemka
Chinese
2024 Contestant #4
q
&
a
What's something memorable about you?
My smile and facial expressions.
Why did you join MAC? / What is your goal with MAC?
I joined MAC to foster friendships with fellow Asian women. As a transracial adoptee, who did not have a lot of Asian women influences growing up, having those connections is very important to me. Also, the world of pageantry is completely unknown to me and not my typical extracurricular activity. I wanted to get outside my comfort zone and try something completely new for the betterment of my personal growth.
What’s a fun fact about you?
I play 8 instruments!
What three things would you bring with you to a remote island?
1) My dog Daisy
2) A guitar
3) One of those giant military survival kits
What's your favorite quote?
“You’ll never know until you try.”
Hi everyone! My name is Ellie Kuzemka (she/her). I am from Valparaiso, IN and moved to Chicago a year ago to start graduate school. I am currently a second year clinical Doctorate of Audiology student at Rush University. I am very passionate about my future profession and a long-term goal I have is to make a safe/accessible space for marginalized groups in hearing healthcare. I also take great pride in adding to the small number of audiologists that are part of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community within the field of speech and hearing sciences.
I am a TRA (transracial adoptee) and was adopted from Fuling, China by my parents. Being a transracial adoptee means that I am a different race than my parents. I grew up in a predominantly white region of Indiana and had very few Asian influences in my life. Because of this, I felt isolated from Asian culture. Growing up I felt ashamed of my lack of knowledge of Asian culture and it’s still a struggle, even as an adult. However, as I entered adulthood, I made more Asian friends and asserted myself into Asian dominated spaces. My Asian friends taught me the things I was craving but did it in a way that was out of pure love, enthusiasm, and without judgment. This was the first step towards accepting my TRA identity and what it means to be Asian-American. I have had to work hard for the knowledge I now know about my birth/Asian culture. As beautiful as learning about those are, I struggle with the process of it being painful due to the loss of my ability to have incidental learning. But, as I learn to accept myself the way I am, with the help of my friends, I’ve realized that the way that I am is just right.
Outside of my academic life, I love to spend time with friends/family, explore Chicago restaurants/coffee shops etc., and play music. I grew up playing piano as a child which then transitioned into the alto saxophone in middle school. Along the way I picked up quite a few instruments as well. Music is a way that I can express my emotions, thoughts, and feelings when words don’t seem to be enough. Music gives me an outlet to be creative, emote, and connect with people. I currently play my guitar at the Rush Hospital for cancer patients. Having serious health conditions such as cancer is excruciatingly draining in every facet. Music has a way of healing people that we as humans may never fully understand. It really does heal the mind, body, and soul. I love music with all my heart and if I can play just for an hour and watch patients listen, smile, and dance to my playing then that’s worth it to me.
One of my main motivators to be in this pageant was to surround myself with strong Asian women that will support me exactly the way I am. I cannot wait to go on this journey with the rest of my pageant sisters and form unique and beautiful friendships that I hope last a lifetime.
ellie's activities with us
