This year’s Miss Georgia contestant had never participated in a single pageant until the Miss USA competition that aired on August 27. When it came to winning the title of Miss Georgia, Jade Kircus never had to compete. The process involved open casting through Miss Georgia’s website. “I decided to apply, and I was like, ‘Lord, I’m just giving it to you. I’m going to step out in faith, and I’m just going to do it because I have a lot of peace in doing this and I feel like you called me to do it for whatever that purpose is,” Kircus told People. Three rounds of public voting later and video submissions, the 36-year-old mother of three found herself as Miss Georgia.

Prior to winning the open casting, Kircus, a first generation American, had served in the Navy for 8 years. “I went from the Navy uniform to being in a sash because I really felt like the Lord put it in my heart in October to compete,” she told Fox News Digital. However, after she found out she was pregnant, she thought God had closed that door. Tragically, that pregnancy ended in a miscarriage at 16 weeks. “We lost our baby girl. I remember holding her in the hospital through several traumatic moments before that. And I remember looking at her and being like, ‘Wow, this life is so beautiful.’ And it was in my most difficult moment that the Lord really showed up and showed me who He was. And although it was challenging, I clung to my faith,” she said. Kircus went on to apply for the casting call and prepare for her first pageant competition.

She shared with People how she prepped for  her first pageant with the help of her husband. “I did take a lot of notes, so I had a notebook and really just started writing everything down, everything that just came to mind about the leader that I want to be as Miss USA and the woman that I want to be in the pageant world and how I want to show up and encourage people,” she said.

Kircus didn’t end up taking home the main prize at the competition, with that honor going to Miss Virginia, Justus Kelley, 31. Like Kircus, she is a wife and mother, making her the first such instance of a married woman with children winning the competition. Prior to the main competition, Kircus told Fox News she hoped to be an inspiration. “Representing the USA is one of the most incredible honors of my life. Not only have I experienced that as a naval officer, but I’ve experienced it as a daughter, as somebody who has parents who are not originally from this country,” she said. “My heart has always been to serve, and representing the USA on an international scale really would be such an honor. And I do believe we can make an impact.”