UND alumna finds her ‘Voice’

Self-proclaimed small-town girl from Grand Forks makes national name for herself as a contestant on hit NBC talent search

Jozy Hansen is a lot like many twenty-something women.

She hits the drive-thru once in a while.

She likes to splurge on a manicure.

She enjoys a good made-from-scratch breakfast from her hometown diner.

But lately, her twenty-something life has been different. The drive-thru cashier recognized her. The man shaping her nails recognized her. And when she made a recent stop at Darcy’s Cafe in Grand Forks, it was her turn to recognize someone looking back at her.

“A little old man was reading the paper with my face on it, and I was sitting right next to him. It was so weird!” Hansen said with a laugh. “It’s something like that that I’ve always dreamt of having, and now that it’s happening, I just kind of giggle or cry because I’m so happy.”

Grand Forks native and 2014 UND graduate Jozy Hansen has hit the big time.

Hansen—who now goes by a professional name of Jozy Bernadette—launched into fame last Tuesday with an appearance on NBC’s hit singing competition show “The Voice.” She wowed judges Gwen Stefani and Adam Levine with her incredible rendition of “American Woman”, and ultimately chose Gwen to coach her through the upcoming vocal battle rounds.

“Every day, I’m not even joking, I wake up and I’m like, ‘Wait, is this my real life? Is this really happening?’” Jozy said. “It’s so cool, and I’m very blessed and fortunate to be able to have this experience.”

North Dakota beginnings

On March 14, Jozy’s friends and family packed the Grand Forks Ground Round where she worked in college to watch her take the national stage for her blind audition. A small handful already knew the outcome, but when those judges’ chairs turned to see Jozy—rocking a flowing floral ensemble from Grand Forks’ own Kittsona boutique—the celebration really started.

“It was one of the coolest days of my entire life. There’s nothing better than your hometown supporting you and Grand Forks has done that, and far exceeded my expectations,” Jozy said. “I know it’s my journey, but it’s a Grand Forks journey as well.”

Jozy says her own Grand Forks journey has played a significant role in shaping the entertainer she has become. The small community atmosphere allowed her to be active with singing roles in church, Central High School and UND, where she was a member of the Women’s Chorus every year.

“My parents always instilled, ‘Get your education so you have that to fall back on if the music thing doesn’t work out.’ They were always supportive of me pursuing music as well as going to college,” she said.

Like many students, Jozy gave a few different majors a try while at UND, hunting for just the thing that would pair well with her appetite for performance and public interaction. Communication and marketing were a natural fit, and she found mentors who helped her personalize her university experience.

“All of the teachers in the Communication Program were incredible. My advisor David Kiefel—he was super into music as well,” Jozy recalled. “As far as entrepreneurship and marketing, La Royce (Batchelor) was really inspiring because of her passion for teaching and helping you grow and find your way.”

Surreal experience

Jozy has to stay tight-lipped about much of her experience shooting “The Voice” in Los Angeles—including how she does and when we can see her perform in the coming episodes—but she was able to shed a little light on her audition process.

Truth is, this wasn’t her first time trying out. But a “no” the first time didn’t stop her, and she finally found herself on the televised blind audition stage.

“Something came over me that day,” she remembered. “I was so excited, I wasn’t even nervous, which is very weird. I don’t get that nervous anymore, but I was so ready to go. I was like, ‘Give me the mic. Let’s go onstage—I’m ready.’”

So she hit the stage, with her family watching over her shoulder. “For them to be there for the biggest moment of my whole life was so surreal and so cool. It kind of gave me that feeling of, ‘You can do it. Your mom’s right there.’” Jozy added with a giggle.

Then—she belted. She gave it her all. Gwen and Adam turned in their chairs. It was happening.

“I collapsed. I literally had to catch my breath because I just thought, holy cow. I really just made it on ‘The Voice,’” she said. “All the tryouts that I’ve tried out before and didn’t go so well, to that moment, and to wanting a dream so bad and for it to come true—there are no words to describe it.”

As Jozy continues to live out her dream, she wants other UND grads—and small-town dreamers across the country—to move past the bumps in the road, the rejections and the failures and just keep going.

“Go after it. Whatever ‘it’ is, go after it,” she said. “Just because you’re from North Dakota doesn’t mean you can’t make it big. I went through that on my Voice journey.”

Be sure to follow Jozy on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram along her journey, and tune in to “The Voice” on NBC to catch her next performance.