Alissa Staloch. Photo: Chris Emeott
Experiences with traumatic brain injuries motivates Mrs. Minnesota American 2024’s activism.
March is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Awareness Month, and Minnesota has a special spokesperson this year. Alissa Staloch became Mrs. Minnesota American in June 2024 and has been using her platform to promote TBI awareness throughout her tenure, which ends in June.
Staloch, originally from Stillwater, lives in nearby Afton with her husband, Joe Staloch, and three children, Sylvia, Sullivan and Rosie—but as she says, Woodbury is “where we do our life,” noting that her executive coaching company, Midwest Momentum, is located in Woodbury. “As a coach, a big part of what I talk to my clients about is doing things outside my comfort zone. That is ultimately where this pageant thing came in from,” she says.
From 2010 to 2014, Staloch was a Minnesota Vikings cheerleader. During her time, her coach, Tami Hedrick, was Mrs. Minnesota America. It’s Hedrick who encouraged Staloch to pursue pageantry after she finished cheerleading. Years later, now that her children are older, Staloch figured it was time. “There’s nothing I lose to try for this,” she says.
“When I first started thinking of pageants, I was thinking of Tami,” Staloch says. “I’ve always looked up to her, she was such a great leader of that organization and she always supported all of us women so well. We still keep in touch. She’s one of those people that gives you that nudge.”
Staloch took on the challenge and was successful, becoming Mrs. Minnesota American last June. “The biggest part of pageantry is your platform—what you want to make a difference in. Having a pageant title gets you in the door; that is my main goal,” she says.
“To me, [Mrs. Minnesota American] means reaching more than just my community,” she says. “I’ve grown up on this east side of the Twin Cities my whole life, and I thought, there’s more.”
Staloch has utilized her platform to increase TBI awareness across Minnesota, a cause near and dear to her family. “I’ve got two family members affected by TBIs, and there are several [organizations] in Minnesota that our family has utilized,” she says. Staloch’s sister, Amanda White, sustained a TBI at work in 2016. Then her dad, Terry Chial, was in a snowmobile accident that resulted in a TBI in 2018. “That’s what I’ve spent my time doing before the pageant but also now as [Mrs. Minnesota American]. It’s just been really unique and nice to be in,” she says.
Alissa Staloch and her family, from left to right: Alissa, Rosalie, Joe, Sylvia, Sally, Terry (Alissa’s father and TBI survivor), Sullivan, Nolan, William, Amanda (Alissa’s twin sister and TBI survivor), Nora, Izzy, Sarah and Chad. Photo: Jenna Conlin Photography
Staloch is particularly focused on two specific organizations that, in her years witnessing her sister and dad recover from TBIs, she recognizes as indispensable resources for survivors and caretakers.
The Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance is a nonprofit that works to improve the lives of people impacted by brain injuries in Minnesota. Services include advocacy and policy initiatives, personalized resource facilitation services and volunteer opportunities across the state. Staloch has been a key ambassador for the organization this year, partaking in several events as a spokesperson.
Assisted by Staloch’s advocacy on its behalf, TBI Ranch is just getting its start. The nonprofit is in the early stages of funding to create a place where survivors and caregivers can live in community and nature with professional support. “If that was up and running, that’s where my dad would have wanted to be,” Staloch says.
TBI Ranch will host fundraisers to continue working toward this goal, and Staloch is a partner in these efforts. The personal nature of Staloch’s commitment to TBI awareness brings passion to her platform as Mrs. Minnesota American. “I’ve spent more time getting across the state [and] reaching more people, more networks and more organizations that support individuals, whether they’re patients or caregivers,” she says. Much of her awareness activism revolves around providing people with information about available resources. “If a TBI happens to you, where do you start?” she says.
Finding the right network for recovery from a TBI is important, especially because TBIs are unique to each individual and require so much support from caregivers. “Caregivers have to be in the right frame of mind to take care of both themselves and the person that they love,” Staloch says. “It can get tiring, and you have to get yourself back up on your feet to care for someone. Finding the right medical care, advocating for that person and having a team who can help you is all so important.
“It was two very normal days for them,” Staloch says of her sister and dad’s accidents. “I would just want everyone to know that a TBI can happen to anybody at any time, and it can happen so quickly.”
Staloch encourages everyone to be as prepared as possible. She suggests making sure that a loved one has up-to-date information that would be needed in an emergency—passwords, insurance information and other details. “If something were to happen, make sure you have people you can lean on that know your most important information and how to advocate for you,” Staloch says.
Photo: Chris Emeott
When Staloch’s sister and dad were in the midst of the most difficult parts of recovery, she recalls the work their spouses did in the caretaking role. “Seeing my mom and sister’s husband go through it … Things shift drastically,” Staloch says. “A TBI doesn’t discriminate and can remain very visible once it’s healed. It’s so important to have empathy for someone who’s had one or who is caretaking.
“My goal is to keep building up this network, so that I can continue all that work. I am hoping to get more immersed in these organizations,” Staloch says. “I did just compete at Mrs. America, and I met all the other [contestants from other] states. You never know when you’re going to meet the person who’s going to maximize your impact.”
Staloch is a natural connector, and her role as Mrs. Minnesota American helps her to that end. “Getting outside of who you normally talk to every day—I’m in that, ‘Let’s get out of the normal’ stage, and I’m growing my circle,” she says.
“I enjoy being [Mrs. Minnesota American], and I know that I just have one short year, but I plan on doing this work well beyond that year,” Staloch says. “It’s a starting point to get to know the right people and build those relationships.”
Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance
TBI Ranch
307.224.6799
