Former beauty queen returns after service in Iraq

clipped from www.nwherald.com ROUND LAKE BEACH – Joining the military is not exactly an expected route to take for former beauty pageant winners. But it’s the route Sgt. Amanda Wilson chose, and it seems to be suiting her just fine. Wilson, who won the title of Miss Fox Lake in 1998 when she was 16, enlisted in the Marine Corps in September 2006. She completed a seven-month tour of duty in Iraq in March and returned to her family in Round Lake Beach last week. Nate Cizek of Mount Prospect watches Sandy Stedman (center) of Round Lake, get a big hug from her best friend, Sgt. Amanda Wilson, as she greets them during her welcome home party at her parents' home in Round Lake Beach. (Candace H. Johnson – lcjedit@nwnewsgroup.com) “I’ve been blessed with the opportunities,” Wilson said. “I don’t regret it all. I wouldn’t take it back.”