Miss USA’s Family Values Helped Her Win the Crown
By Movieguide® Contributor
Alma Cooper, Miss Michigan, an active-duty officer in the Army and a data scientist studying at Stanford University, took home the title of Miss USA on Aug. 4.
“Backstage, she told Fox News Digital the win felt ‘surreal,’ saying, ‘I just remember being a little girl and watching that moment over and over every year, for one lucky woman each year, and to know that I was one of those people standing there was already a dream come true. But then to win, I just, I can’t even believe it,’” Fox News reported.
In the question portion of the pageant, the 22-year-old pulled on the values that she grew up with.
“I just thought about my family and the values I was raised on growing up and how much that meant to me,” she said. “And all of the time it took to even get to this point, I’m so grateful. I can’t express enough gratitude for this moment, for the people that have uplifted me in times when I’ve been in valleys, and to be this mountain alongside so many other incredible women, this is incredible.”
Cooper wowed the judges with her answer on bridging the gap between cultures.
She said, “As the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro-Latina woman, and an officer in the United States Army, I am living the American Dream. If there is anything that my life and my mother have taught me, it’s that your circumstances never define your destiny, that you can make success accessible through demanding excellence, my personal motto…success is accessible and through chasing your dreams, you can break down barriers and make the launch pad for where you’re going to go.”
Previous Miss USA, Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii, placed the crown on Cooper after the judges made their decision.
Cooper currently pursues a master’s in statistics with a focus on food insecurity. Her mother’s experience with food insecurity is what inspired her to research that field.
“I know she is not alone in that in this country, one in five children is food insecure. And I want to make a difference,” she told PEOPLE. “That’s what truly has propelled me to work in the field of food insecurity, health, and nutrition.”
“My story and my message is that I’m here to serve. And I know that regardless of any circumstances, regardless of tumultuous times, I’m eager to serve and willing to lead as Miss USA 2024,” she said.
In November, Copper will compete in the Miss Universe 2024 contest, which will be held in Mexico.
Movieguide® previously reported on former Miss USA, Kristen Dalton Wolfe:
“I think when I gave talks, talks in schools, I just integrated [my faith] as it had to do with my story,” she explained. “I think anytime you’re sharing a personal story or personal experience, no one can get mad.”
Wolfe also shared tips for maintaining good mental health, telling listeners that it’s alright to remove yourself from situations that damage your self-worth, like muting social media accounts that make you insecure.
“You do have to protect your mind and protect yourself because it’s everything, and scripture says, ‘So a person thinks, so they become,’ and it is so true,” Wolfe said.
