
Alma Cooper of Michigan, a US Army officer, was crowned Miss USA on Sunday, becoming the third person to hold the title this year after the 2023 winner stepped down.
The 22-year-old, who has a master's degree in data science from Stanford University, beat 50 other contestants in a competition that included swimsuit and evening gown competitions. Kentucky's Connor Perry and Oklahoma's Danika Christopherson were named first and second, respectively.
"As the daughter of an immigrant worker, a proud Afro-Latina woman and a United States Army officer, I'm living the American dream," she told the judges during a question-and-answer session at Sunday's finale. "If there's one thing my life and my mother's have taught me, it's that your circumstances never determine your destiny: You can make success attainable by seeking excellence."
Cooper was crowned on stage by the previous titleholder, Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii, who inherited the tiara in May after Utah's Noelia Voigt stepped down under highly controversial circumstances.