April Nelson

Teen pageants

In 2006, Nelson vied for the Miss Louisiana Junior Teen 2006 title from North American Miss. She won the spokesmodel portion of the competition and was named third runner-up for the title.

Entering the Miss America system in 2007, she vied for the title of Miss Louisiana's Outstanding Teen and placed second runner-up. The next year, she was crowned Miss Louisiana's Outstanding Teen 2008 and competed for the Miss America's Outstanding Teen title. Nelson served as grand marshal of the Alexandria Mardi Gras Association's 2009 Children's Parade.

Vying for Miss Louisiana

On November 21, 2009, Nelson won the Miss Slidell 2010 title in a pageant held at Slidell High School. She competed in the June 2010 Miss Louisiana pageant on a platform of "I.O.U. – Improving Others and U Through Volunteerism" and sang "O Mio Babbino Caro" during the talent portion of the competition. She was a Top-10 finalist for the state title.

On July 31, 2010, Nelson won the Miss Louisiana Watermelon Festival 2010 title. She competed in the June 2011 Miss Louisiana pageant as one of 35 qualifiers on a platform of "Living the Golden Rule" and sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" during the talent portion of the competition. She was once again a Top-10 finalist for the state title.

Vying for Miss Oklahoma

After graduating high school in 2010, Nelson moved to Oklahoma City to attend Oklahoma City University. OCU is known as a "pageant school", offering special scholarships to Miss Oklahoma competitors and celebrating their achievements. Three Miss America winners are OCU alumni: Jane Anne Jayroe (1967), Susan Powell (1981), and Shawntel Smith (1996).

In November 2011, Nelson won the Miss Oklahoma City University 2012 title. She competed in the 2012 Miss Oklahoma pageant on a platform of "I.O.U.: Improving Others through U!" and a vocal performance of "At Last" during the talent portion. She was a Top-11 finalist for the state title.

On December 8, 2012, Nelson won the Miss Eastern Oklahoma County 2013 title. She competed in the 2013 Miss Oklahoma pageant on a platform of "I.O.U.: Improving Others through U!" and a vocal performance of "Nessun Dorma", an aria from Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, during the talent portion. She was not a finalist for the state title.

Miss Louisiana 2015

After graduating from Oklahoma City University in 2014, Nelson returned to her native Louisiana. On February 7, 2015, Nelson was named Miss Crescent City New Orleans 2015 which made her eligible to compete at the 2015 Miss Louisiana pageant. She entered the state pageant at the Monroe Civic Center in June 2015 as one of 35 finalists. Nelson's competition talent was a vocal performance of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" from the musical The Sound of Music. Her platform is "IOU, Improving Others Through U".

Nelson won the competition on Saturday, June 27, 2015, when she received her crown from outgoing Miss Louisiana titleholder Lacey Sanchez. She earned more than $70,000 in scholarship money and prizes over the course of her pageant career. As Miss Louisiana, her activities include public appearances across the state of Louisiana.

Vying for Miss America

Nelson was Louisiana's representative at the Miss America 2016 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in September 2015. She won a preliminary talent competition, earning a $2,000 scholarship award. In the televised finale on September 13, 2015, she sang "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" from the musical The Sound of Music during the talent portion of the competition. In the interview portion, she was asked about the Black Lives Matter movement and answered that "every life matters". Nelson's personal platform is "I.O.U. - Improving Others through U!". She was named third runner-up to Betty Cantrell and awarded a $15,000 scholarship prize.

Early life and education

Nelson is a native of Mandeville, Louisiana, and the daughter of Mike and Cristi Nelson. She attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts from 2006 through 2008 and is a 2010 graduate of Fontainebleau High School.

Nelson is a 2014 graduate of Oklahoma City University where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree. While a student at OCU, Nelson became a member of the Alpha Phi international women's fraternity. In 2014, she began working as an actress at Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre in New Orleans. She also works for as a "princess for hire" for parties and events.