This is a story about a young lady who lives each day to make a difference in her little corner of the world.
It’s why she wakes most mornings and works hard at her cross fit gym. It’s why, as a registered nurse at Wheeling Hospital, she’s a member of the heart catheterization team. And it’s why she chooses to compete in pageants and, as “Mrs. West Virginia,” she supports a few charitable organization she appreciates most.
Meet Lacy Ferguson. She’s a 32-year-old native of northeast Ohio who moved to the Wheeling area in 2015, and she and her husband, Ron, just celebrated their first wedding anniversary. For several years, the couple resided in a rental home along Peters Run Road, but these days they live in the Bethlehem area with no plans to move anytime soon.
“We love it here,” Ferguson said. “And I am honored to serve as Mrs. West Virginia because I get to spread the word about great people who do some pretty great things.”
But it wasn’t always that way because, well, Lacy was too shy back in her high school days.
“I did a couple of pageants back when I was in high school, but back then I had a horrible fear of public speaking. I just couldn’t do it,” she admitted. “So, it took a lot of practice so I could get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
“Before we moved to the Wheeling area, I stumbled upon the Miss Ohio USA Instagram page that was promoting a preliminary competition, and I decided to give it a try,” Ferguson recalled. “What I really wanted to do was branch out into modeling, so I did the prelim event and I won a sponsorship to go to the state pageant in 2015. I didn’t place there, but I had the time of my life, and I got bit by the pageant bug.”
That’s also when her husband’s work introduced them to the Upper Ohio Valley and to the Wheeling area a decade ago. Initially, she was assigned to the Medical ICU, and then her career ventured into interventional cardiology, structural Cardiology, and electrophysiology.
“And after we moved to this area, I started competing in West Virginia, and here I am, 10 years later,” said the Walsh University grad. “I’ve participated in Miss West Virginia USA, the Three Rivers Festival, a Miss America – Local, and a few others, but then we were married and that’s when I started entering the ‘Mrs’ competitions.
“We celebrated our anniversary this past Sunday,” she was excited to report. “So, whatever pageants I participate in from now on, it will be as a Mrs.”
Two Jobs. Same Lady.
In March, Ferguson was crowned as Mrs. West Virginia, and in August, she competed in the Mrs. America pageant in Las Vegas where she finished second runner-up. She must skip a year if she wishes to compete for the national crown again, and she’s not sure if she’ll compete in 2027.
What she does know, though, is that she’s made unforgettable memories.
“The best parts of competing in the Mrs. America pageant involved the women,” Ferguson said. “We had a total of 46 states represented at the Mrs. America pageant this past year, so now I have friends in 45 states. Plus, my roommate was Mrs. Ohio – Stephanie Brode – and she’s a physician from the Cleveland area and we first met back in 2019 when we were both competed in the Miss Ohio USA competition.
“So, it was a doctor and a nurse together again, and that was really cool because when it wasn’t about the pageant, we did discuss healthcare,” she said. “I found that pretty special to be able to relate to someone like that while you’re in Las Vegas to compete in a national pageant.”
The worst parts of pageants?
“Early morning hair and makeup calls. And the sleep … or the lack of sleep,” Mrs. West Virginia laughed. “Sometimes it’s hard to catch up with the sleep you lose when you’re in a different time zone and your body is still on West Virginia time. When I first got out there, I was waking up at 3 a.m. Vegas time, and then I was crashing at 9 p.m., but I eventually got on schedule.
“When it’s over, well, that’s tough because you just spent all of that time with those girls and then it’s time for us to scatter all over the country,” she said. “I know we’ll stay in contact, but it’s really a great experience to be surrounded by people from so many different places.”
A plethora of Ferguson’s social media posts have included photos and videos of the different phases of her competitions, whether it’s been pictures of the interview, the gown, or the swim wear portions, and there are scenes displaying her being crowned as Mrs. West Virginia. She’s also offered a bevy of appreciation for her competition sponsors, too, including The Glessner Group in the Elm Grove area of Wheeling.
The most interesting online updates, however, offer an insider’s look into her transformation from Cath Lab Nurse to Pageant Queen.
“I like putting those videos out there because I really do just strive to be me and to be real no matter if I’m competing or if I’m at the hospital,” Ferguson said. “You can meet the most beautiful girl in the world, but if she’s trying to be something she’s not, she’s not going to have a connection with anyone involved. I’ve met women like that, and they’re not a lot of fun to be around.
“But I just try to be me and to have fun. I feel that’s the best way to promote the organizations that I respect the most because if I didn’t, I feel it would come as artificial and that doesn’t help anyone. And let’s be honest, no one needs a crown or a sash to make a difference in their community.”
A Life of Balance
It does happen sometimes.
Lacy, who also works as a pageant coach for younger contestants, will be on a break at Wheeling Hospital, and someone from somewhere inevitably will ask, “Aren’t you …?”
Why yes. Yes, she is.
“That’s why I carry little autograph cards with me just in case it does come up and a patient or a visitor wants one,” she admitted shyly. “I’m always surprised when it happens because I’m really covered up when I’m working and my hair is pulled back, but I’m always very flattered when it does.”
At times, conversations even follow, and Ferguson finds folks are genuinely curious about the pageant process and the duties that follow for the winners like Mrs. West Virginia.
“I tell people that a pageant is like a long job interview,” Ferguson explained. “You are competing to represent that title for a year and that gives you an opportunity to promote the issues and the organizations you’re most passionate about. That’s why I work with the Center for Organ Recovery & Education, A Special Wish Ohio Valley, the American Heart Association, and Crittenton Services.
“That part is really fun for me because, to me, promoting those organizations is what’s at the heart of pageantry,” she explained. “It’s the community service and the connections you build in your community that makes the most difference in people’s lives.”
But it all takes time. The job, the crown, the competitions, the exercise, and being a best friend and wife, too.
It all takes a lot of time.
“It’s all about finding a balance with everything, but sometimes, I struggle with it. I’m not going to lie about that. It’s been hard,” Ferguson admitted. “But I always have my planner in front of me or nearby, and I do my best.
“When it comes to the cath lab, I’m blessed with not having to work weekends unless I’m on call. When that’s the case, I have to stay within 30 minutes of the hospital,” she said. “And most of the time, that’s just fine with me because I love living in this area because it’s so beautiful here, and the people are just terrific.”
