She has outrun larger-than-life Transformers, helped rush-hour drivers navigate past time-consuming metro-Detroit traffic jams, and injected weekday joy into thousands of people’s lives as an on-air radio personality for 104.3 WOMC.
So, what can Aricka Truchan do for an encore?
For starters, the personable, always-looking-for-an adventure Plymouth resident is tirelessly campaigning to become the next Mrs. Michigan.
When she learned from a makeup artist that a pageant exclusively for married women existed, her always-ambitious mindset shifted into high gear.
“I’ve been interested in pageants for as long as I can remember,” said Truchan, flashing her 1,000-watt smile during a recent Saturday morning interview inside downtown Plymouth’s Westchester Square Mall. “When I was 15, I wanted to enter the Miss Teen USA pageant.
Exciting life
“My dad looked into it and discovered they weren’t Better Business Bureau-certified, so he said, ‘We’ll find something else for you’. So I signed up for the Barbizon Modeling School, which was fun. But I’m only 5-foot-5, not the prototypical height for models.”
She laughed at the memory.
Married in 2020 to Jeremy Truchan, the aspiring Mrs. Michigan’s life has been a rarely-a-dull-moment joyride.
When Michigan offered Hollywood movie producers tax incentives for filming in Michigan from 2008 through 2015, Truchan secured multiple “extra” roles in major motion pictures, including “Transformers: Age of Extinction” in 2010.
“It was very cool being a small part of ‘Transformers’,” Truchan reflected. “In my scene, I was running down a downtown-Detroit street away from the Transformers, wearing a ripped-up blue dress, with rubble falling from the sky. If you look real close, you can see me for a split second.”
She also was selected for small roles in “The Five-Year Engagement”, which starred Jason Segel and Chris Pratt, and “Street Kings of Detroit”.
Uplifting radio host
Truchan’s professional life has been extra-special over the past 13 years as her upbeat personality has resonated with listeners of several Midwest radio stations — most recently as a mid-day host for WOMC (and traffic reporter for WWJ Newsradio 950).
“I love playing music and connecting with music-loving listeners,” Truchan said. “When I’m on the air, it’s fun being a positive force for people, many of whom are at work. There’s nothing better than giving away prizes, making someone’s day.”
Truchan’s mission to secure the Mrs. Michigan title (the pageant is scheduled for May in Plainwell, Michigan) has been fueled by her passion for the state she has called home for most of her life.
As a youth, she lived in Canton and graduated from Livonia Franklin High School after her family moved. She still has several relatives who live in Westland.
“My husband and I love planning trips in Michigan every year, visiting cities we haven’t yet experienced,” she said. “It would be a huge honor to represent the state I love by serving as Mrs. Michigan. If I win, I’ll do whatever I’m asked because I love connecting with the community.”
Truchan will attend an April workshop for Mrs. Michigan contestants. Among the skills the workshop addresses is interviewing, as 50% of the pageant’s results will be based on four four-minute interviews each candidate will go through.
“I’ve always considered myself a pretty good interviewer, but I haven’t been an interviewee very often (she chuckled), so I’m looking forward to the workshop,” she said.
The fitness factor
Another 25% of the pageant is based on fitness, which Truchan should excel at given she has been working out diligently the past few months with personal trainer Sarah Hoaxie.
The pageant’s final 25% judging criteria focuses on stage presence, which figures to land right in Truchan’s wheelhouse given her frequent intermingling with throngs of people at WOMC community events.
“It would feel amazing to win,” she said. “I would really embrace helping charitable organizations during my term — and it would be fun to represent Michigan in the Mrs. United States pageant.”
Noting she has recently secured vital sponsorships from Jeff Zak Catering in Plymouth and Glaze Galore, which is making her formal pageant dress, Truchan said she is still seeking financial assistance to help cover pageant expenses.
“Even $5 donations help,” she said, smiling.
To donate, search RadioAricka on PayPal and Venmo apps. She also encourages people to follow “RadioAricka” on social media, including Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Threads.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
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