Drew Tillman chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about representing Indiana in the 2025 Mister USA competition.
Country superstar Tim McGraw sings in his hit single “The Cowboy in Me”: “We ride and never worry about the fall, I guess that’s just the cowboy in us all.” This quote applies to Drew Tillman.
Mister USA competition
Mister USA is an American beauty pageant, which is held annually, and the winner goes on to represent the United States in the Mister Universe competition. It is a celebration of culture, diversity, beauty, intelligence and empowerment.
It believes in the power of young leaders to make a difference in the world. It is not solely about outer beauty; it recognizes the inner beauty and intelligence of their contestants.
“Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real,” Tillman admitted. “It feels like something I would watch in a movie. Growing up as a kid, I never thought I would have an opportunity like this. It is honestly surreal in the best possible way.”
Repping Indiana
On representing Indiana, he said, “I travel through Indiana a lot, whether it’s visiting my brother, who is in Minnesota, but I also enjoy going fishing in the little creeks and rivers around there.”
“Growing up, I did a lot of camping with my family out in Indiana. I am more connected with Indiana’s nature and raw beauty, which is pretty cool,” he admitted.
Daily motivations
Regarding his daily motivations, Tillman shared, “The drive to become better… whether that is mentally, physically or spiritually. I really love being in nature.”
Future plans
On his future plans, he said, “I would love to get to a point where I can do social media and content creation full-time. I would also love to travel the world whether that’s for acting or modeling. I want to stay in the fitness and influencer realm.”
“I want to help promote a healthier lifestyle for everybody. It’s a balance… you can go out in nature but you can also be on the grind; that way, you can become better,” he acknowledged.
Advocacy for Mister USA
Tillman’s advocacy for Mister USA is to “influence a healthy lifestyle.” “More often than not, people take for granted just being outside,” he said.
“I’m a huge nature guy as a result. A while back, I made a mistake, and I was driving drunk. That’s where it all began for me. That adverse experience molded me, it taught me lessons, and it made me into who I am today. It really lit a fire inside of me,” he underscored.
Why he should win Mister USA
When asked why he feels he deserves to win Mister USA, Tillman responded, “I feel I should win Mister USA, because with this title, I can really take it and run with it. I can really make a positive impact on the lives of a lot of young men around the world, if given the opportunity.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, Tillman said, “Success, to me, is falling down and getting back up again. It doesn’t matter if you fail, it’s about getting back up and trying again and again. Continuing to push forward.”
Closing thoughts about Mister USA
For his supporters, Tillman expressed, “You can be at your absolute rock bottom but you can still change your life for the absolute better. It can be a total 360. All you need to do is put the time and the work into it, and really discipline yourself to stay on it.”
To learn more about Drew Tillman, follow him on Instagram.
