Afro-Latina Stanford Grad Wins Miss USA

An excerpt from CNN - 

New Miss USA crowned, capping tumultuous year of pageant controversy

By Oscar Holland, CNN

Michigan's Alma Cooper wins Miss USA 2024 at the
73rd annual Miss USA pageant at the Peacock Theater
in Los Angeles, California. Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Images

Michigan’s Alma Cooper, a US Army officer, was named Miss USA on Sunday, becoming the third person to hold the title this year following the shock resignation of 2023’s winner.

The 22-year-old, who has a Master’s in data science from Stanford University, beat 50 other contestants in a pageant that included swimwear and evening gown competitions. Kentucky’s Connor Perry and Oklahoma’s Danika Christopherson were named first and second runners up, respectively.

“As the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro Latina woman and an officer of the United States Army, I am living the American dream,” she had told judges during a Q&A session at Sunday’s finale. “If there’s anything that my life and my mother have taught me, it’s that your circumstances never define your destiny: You can make success accessible through demanding excellence.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/04/style/miss-usa-winner-alma-cooper-michigan/index.html