Alma Cooper, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and second lieutenant in the Army, won the title of Miss USA this week. As per West Point, Afro-Latina Cooper made history in April by being the first active-duty Army officer to participate in and win the Miss Michigan USA pageant.
After winning the Miss USA crown on Sunday, Cooper told Business Insider, “I can’t even put into words this surreal feeling. I have so much gratitude toward the shoulders that I stand upon and all the people who have supported me to get to this point.”
She recalled how the pageant industry was very important to her family growing up because her mother was a frequent competitor in state pageants. She was merely carrying on her mother’s legacy.
To pay for her pageant fees for Miss Michigan Teen USA in 2016, Cooper even secured a job at Auntie Anne’s, a pretzel shop. She was first runner-up in the same pageantry in 2017.
Cooper, 22, majored in math and graduated with honors from Stanford University in 2023. As a Knight-Hennessy scholar, Cooper is currently pursuing a master’s degree in statistics. The scholarship program provides full support for high-achieving students to pursue graduate degrees at the university.
She developed a strong interest in food insecurity research. Her BSc thesis, which was published in Military Medicine, examines the connection between the body-mass index and the recruiting crisis facing the US Army.
Cooper told Business Insider that her mother, who experienced food insecurity and poverty after arriving in the US as a migrant worker when she was six years old, served as the inspiration for her research.
Cooper was one of the last five contestants in the current pageant who advanced to the interview round. Cooper responded to the topic, “How can we bridge the gap between different cultures and foster understanding and respect?” by highlighting her heritage and describing herself as a “proud Afro-Latina woman.” She also shared her humble beginnings as the daughter of a migrant worker.
“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 told the judges, per Stars and Stripes.
The pioneer, who defeated 50 other women to win the title, is getting ready to represent her country in Mexico at the Miss Universe pageant later this year.
She remarked, “This is not about me. This is about uplifting the voices of individuals whose stories may not be heard, whose stories may not be shown. I know this is bigger than myself.”
“I think the biggest thing that can be taken away from my story is that if you are someone who wants to do it all, you truly can. There are no limits on yourself except the ones that you accept.”
