By: Jenny Castro
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/7/24
This past Sunday on August 4th, Alma Cooper of Michigan was crowned Miss USA 2024 at Los Angeles’s Peacock Theater. Cooper holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and is currently attending Stanford University (California) where she is pursuing a Master’s in Data Science. The accomplished beauty impressed the judges with her confidence, poise, and answer to the final question where she thoughtfully conveyed her accomplishments coinciding with her diverse background and path to achieving success. When asked “How can we bridge the gap between different cultures and foster understanding and respect?” Cooper responded by saying, “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’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,” she said.
The extravagant night was filled with plenty of glamour and anticipation from all 51 contestants and a star-studded judging panel with the likes of Anastasia Soare (Founder to Anastasia Beverly Hills Cosmetics), and former Miss USA’s Carole Gist and Lu Parker. Hosted by Keltie Night and actress Garcelle Beauvais with Miss USA 2022 Morgan Romano and Patrick Starr as correspondents, the night kicked off with the announcement of the top 20 contestants narrowed down to 10 and eventually 5 with Connor Perry of Kentucky placing 1st-runner up. Special appearances by Miss Teen USA 2024 Addie Carver and Miss USA 1953 Myrna Hansen added extra sparkle to the 73rd annual pageant, and left audiences with an optimistic outlook on the organization with Cooper as it’s new ambassador. As Savannah Gankiewicz graciously handed over the crown to Cooper, the Miss USA Organization looks to move on from this past year’s controversy and will now look forward to sending Cooper to the Miss Universe competition in Mexico this November.
Official Miss USA website: https://themissusa.com/
Read our previous interview with Miss USA 2023 Savannah Gankiewicz here.
