By Mitchell “Stitch” Stafford

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Nurse. Nonprofit founder. Musician. Pageant titleholder. Podcaster.

At just 20 years old, Amelie Wilcox has already accumulated a list of accomplishments that might make someone twice her age wonder what they have been doing with their time. But ask Wilcox what drives her, and the answer has little to do with collecting titles or building a résumé.

It starts with people.

“When you strip away all of the titles, I think I’m just someone who really cares about people,” Wilcox said. “I’m curious, I’m creative, I’m probably a little bit too willing to say ‘yes’ to new hobbies, haha, but I love finding ways to bring people together.”

That desire for connection is the common thread running through a life that, on paper, can seem to be moving in a dozen different directions at once. Whether Wilcox is caring for a patient, advocating for those living with autoimmune disease, playing bass onstage, competing in the Miss America Opportunity or sitting behind a microphone for her podcast, she sees each role as another opportunity to make somebody feel heard.

Learning to dream big

Wilcox traces much of her drive to the environment in which she was raised. Rather than being told an idea was unrealistic or that she needed to wait until she was older, Wilcox said she grew up believing the things she dreamed about were worth pursuing.

“I feel very fortunate to have been raised in an environment where, whatever I dreamed of as a kid, I was always made to feel like it was something I could pursue,” she said. “I’ve had such an incredible support system that has cheered me on through every crazy adventure I’ve decided to take on.”

That support gave her something arguably more valuable than permission: confidence.

“Having that belief instilled in me from such a young age gave me the confidence and drive to simply get up and try,” Wilcox said. “I think that’s where a lot of my drive comes from — knowing that it’s OK to dream big, and then actually having the courage to go after those dreams.”

Finding her voice through nursing

One of those dreams led Wilcox into health care while she was still in high school.

She began her nursing education as a teenager and became the youngest licensed practical nurse in South Dakota history before continuing her education toward becoming a registered nurse. But her decision to pursue nursing came, in part, from experiences on the other side of health care.

“As a young teen, I constantly felt like when I went into doctors’ appointments, my symptoms, concerns and worries weren’t always taken seriously or properly listened to,” Wilcox said.

Those experiences forced her to learn how to advocate for herself and her health. Eventually, she realized she could become the person she had wanted in the room during those appointments.

“I knew there were so many other people having that same experience, and I wanted to become the person who could help change that for them,” she said.

For Wilcox, nursing became about more than treating an illness.

“Becoming a nurse gives me the opportunity to truly listen to people, advocate alongside them and help guide their voices toward the care they deserve,” she said.

There was another, slightly less serious influence, too.

“I love ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ so I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to be a little bit like Meredith Grey, too,” Wilcox joked.

Turning loss into a mission

The intersection between health care and advocacy became even more personal through Wilcox’s grandfather, musician Rocke Grace. Grace lived with autoimmune disease before his death in 2020.

“Rocke was the ‘rock’ of our family,” Wilcox said. “He had such a unique warmth about him that anyone who met him felt instantly connected to him.”

After losing him, Wilcox wanted to find a way to preserve that warmth while also doing something about the illness he had faced. The result was the Rocke Grace Foundation for Music + Medicine, which Wilcox created while still in high school.

“The Rocke Grace Foundation for Music + Medicine was born to create autoimmune disease awareness, advocacy and fundraising through music,” she said. “It’s such a privilege to combat his struggle, autoimmune disease, with the thing he loved the most: music.”

Starting a nonprofit at an age when most teenagers are still determining what comes after graduation also taught Wilcox an early lesson about leadership.

“It’s so important not to set limits on what you can achieve,” she said.

Wilcox knew building an organization from scratch would not be easy, but uncertainty was not enough to keep her from trying.

“I’ve learned that leadership isn’t necessarily about having all the answers,” she said. “Sometimes it’s about being willing to take a chance on something you believe in, even when you don’t know exactly where it’s going to lead.”

Her goal is for the foundation to continue growing, creating meaningful change for the autoimmune community while keeping music at the center of its mission.

More than a crown

Taking chances has become something of a theme in Wilcox’s life. At 16, a local mentor encouraged her to consider entering the Miss Rapid City pageant. Pageantry had never been part of Wilcox’s plan, but she decided to give it a shot.

“On a whim, I decided to take a chance on it,” she said.

What she discovered was an organization she said offered far more than a competition.

“It is a launching pad for women to find success and a platform to serve your community,” Wilcox said.

Her participation has helped her develop confidence and communication skills while giving her another platform for advocacy. Perhaps most importantly, she said, pageantry taught her to be comfortable “taking up space” for something she believes in. Wilcox has also earned more than $23,000 in scholarships and awards, which she said have helped pay for her entire nursing education as well as courses through Berklee College of Music.

“For me, these titles have never just been about ‘crowns and sashes,’ but they’ve given me a microphone to amplify my voice,” she said.

Carrying Rocke onto the stage

Long before nursing, nonprofits or pageants entered the picture, there was music. Today, Wilcox plays bass in Rathco alongside her sister, Bijou, and other members of her family. For Wilcox, performing provides something unlike anything else she does.

“There’s a certain electricity that comes with playing music onstage that can’t be replicated by doing anything else,” she said. “There’s something really special about being surrounded by other musicians, feeling the energy of the audience and creating something together in that moment.”

It is also another connection to her grandfather.

“Music is also one of the biggest ways my family and I have been able to stay connected with my grandpa after his passing,” Wilcox said. “When I pick up my bass and play, it’s an immediate way to feel connected to him.”

In those moments, the mission behind the foundation becomes something tangible.

“In a lot of ways, I feel like every time I’m onstage, I’m carrying a little piece of Rocke with me.”

Giving others a microphone

Wilcox has since found another microphone through her podcast, “All Access with Amélie.”

Once again, the medium may be different, but the purpose remains familiar.

“No matter the outlet, I always strive to create an environment where people feel connected and seen,” she said.

The podcast was created to give listeners an “all access” look at the experiences and stories that define and connect people. Wilcox hopes listeners either recognize a piece of themselves in those conversations or walk away having learned something they will remember. That same mission will carry into the Rocke Grace Foundation’s upcoming “Rocke’n Rapid City Holiday Special,” a benefit bringing South Dakotans together for holiday entertainment while raising awareness and funds for autoimmune disease.

Wilcox said fundraising is important, but so is simply creating a reason for people to come together. She hopes attendees can experience “the gift of being together during ‘the most wonderful time of the year.’”

The person behind the accomplishments

It would be easy to tell Amelie Wilcox’s story by listing everything she has already done. But that would miss the point. To Wilcox, nursing, music, pageantry, advocacy and podcasting aren’t separate identities. They are different expressions of the same goal.

“All of the different things I’ve pursued may look very different on paper, but to me, they’ve always connected back to people,” she said.

That can mean caring for a patient, advocating for someone living with an invisible illness, making music with her family, providing someone a platform through her podcast or simply showing up for her community.

“Connection is what I strive for,” Wilcox said.

For someone who has already collected plenty of titles by age 20, Wilcox hopes those titles aren’t what people are talking about years from now.

“I don’t necessarily want people to remember me for my titles or accomplishments,” she said. “I want them to remember how I made them feel.”

She hopes that means making someone feel seen, encouraging someone to believe they are capable of pursuing an idea or simply making another person’s world a little better.

“If I can do that,” Wilcox said, “I’ll feel like I’ve made the kind of impact I set out to make.”