Alma Cooper

Last updated

Alma Cooper
Alma Cooper, Pierce Garver, and Christopher Sowinski (cropped).jpg
Cooper in 2023
Born
Alma Oralia Minerva Cooper

(2002-03-17) March 17, 2002 (age 22)
Okemos, Michigan, U.S.
Education
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm) [1]
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title
Major
competition(s)
Military career
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Service/branchFlag of the United States Army.svg  United States Army
Years of service2023–present
Rank US-O1 insignia.svg Second lieutenant

Alma Oralia Minerva Cooper (born March 17, 2002) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2024. Cooper will represent the United States at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant. Cooper was previously crowned Miss Michigan USA 2024 and is the fourth woman from Michigan to be crowned Miss USA.

Contents

Early life and education

Alma Oralia Minerva Cooper [2] was born March 17, 2002 [1] in Okemos, Michigan to parents Stacey and Oralia Cooper, and describes herself as a "lifelong Michigander". [3] [4] [5] Her father is African-American and a retired major in the United States Army, while her mother is a former pageant contestant and migrant worker from Latin America who came to the United States at age six. [4] [6] [7] [8] Cooper also has an elder sister who is cognitively impaired. [1]

Having skipped the third grade, Cooper graduated one year early from Okemos High School in 2019, where she was the captain of her varsity volleyball team and also played basketball and ran track. [1] After graduating, she moved to West Point, New York to enroll in the United States Military Academy (USMA). [9] Cooper studied mathematical science at the USMA, and graduated in 2023. [5] Following her graduation, Cooper was accepted as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University, studying for a Master of Science degree in statistics on the data science track. [5] Prior to becoming Miss USA, Cooper planned to serve as a second lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Corps of the United States Army after completing her degree at Stanford. [4]

Pageantry

Prior to winning Miss Michigan USA, Cooper was first runner-up at Miss Michigan Teen USA. [6] [3] [7] Following her teenage pageant career, Cooper worked as a professional model throughout the Midwestern United States. [7] Cooper later competed in and won Miss Michigan USA 2024 as Miss Okemos in April 2024. [9] [4] Cooper was cited by the West Point Association of Graduates as the first active-duty officer in the United States Army to compete for the Miss Michigan USA title. [10] As Miss Michigan USA, Cooper was qualified to represent the state at the Miss USA 2024 pageant.

Cooper entered and won Miss USA on August 4, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, [11] [12] against 51 contestants. [13] [14] As Miss USA 2024, Cooper will represent the United States at Miss Universe 2024. [14] [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okemos, Michigan</span> Census-designated place in Michigan, US

Okemos is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of the CDP was 25,121 at the 2020 census. Okemos is part of the urban area of Lansing–East Lansing, and is located nearby the campus of Michigan State University. Okemos is located mostly within Meridian Charter Township, with a small portion extending south into Alaiedon Township and east into Williamstown Township.

Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization. Along with Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.

Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, when the organization announced it was licensing operation of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants to Crystle Stewart, Miss USA for 2008 prior to her suspension in October 2022, thus returning the said pageants to the Miss Universe Organization.

Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant that has been run since 1983 by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19 years old as of January 1st of the competition year. They must be US citizens, and cannot have been married, pregnant, or have children. Unlike its sister pageants Miss Universe, which currently broadcasts on JKN18 and like its sister pageant Miss USA, it is televised on The CW television network starting in 2024, after being streamed online for several years. The Miss Universe Organization previously operated Miss Teen USA, as well as Miss USA, until 2020 when the rights to produce both pageants were licensed to Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart prior to her suspension in October 2022, thus returning the said pageants to the Miss Universe Organization. The parent company of all three pageants and the Miss Universe organization remains the same under the licensing agreement: JKN Metaverse Inc., a subsidiary of JKN Global Group.

The Miss Tennessee USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by Greenwood Productions under the ownership of Miss Tennessee USA 1989, Kimberly Payne Greenwood, since 1992. Since 1999, the pageant has been held at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.

The Miss Michigan USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Michigan in the Miss USA pageant. It is currently directed by Proctor Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss USA 2006</span> 55th Miss USA pageant

Miss USA 2006 was the 55th Miss USA pageant, held at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on April 21, 2006. Fifty-one state titleholders competed for the title, which was won by Tara Conner of Kentucky. Conner was crowned by outgoing titleholder Chelsea Cooley of North Carolina.

Miss England is a national beauty pageant in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss USA 2007</span> 56th Miss USA pageant

Miss USA 2007 was the 56th Miss USA pageant, held at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on March 23, 2007, after two weeks of events and preliminary competition. The winner of the pageant was Rachel Smith of Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Smith</span> American model, actress and TV host

Rachel Renee Smith is an American actress, tv host, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won the Miss USA 2007 pageant and who previously had competed in the Miss Teen USA 2002 pageant. She represented the United States at Miss Universe 2007 and placed 4th Runner-Up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America 2008</span> 81st edition of the Miss America competition

Miss America 2008, the 81st Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, on Saturday, January 26, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystle Stewart</span> American model and beauty pageant titleholder

Crystle Stewart Sebrechts is an American actress, and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 2008. Stewart's acting career began in 2011, when she played real estate agent Leslie Morris on the OWN/TBS comedy-drama television series For Better or Worse until 2017. Shortly after, she appeared in the 2018 film Acrimony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss USA 2008</span> 57th Miss USA pageant

Miss USA 2008 was the 57th Miss USA pageant, held at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 11, 2008. At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Crystle Stewart of Texas was crowned the winner by outgoing titleholder Rachel Smith of Tennessee. Crystle represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2008 pageant, which was held in Vietnam, where she placed in the Top 10. This was also the first time in the pageant's 56-year history that two consecutive women of African Americans have been crowned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rima Fakih</span> American beauty pageant titleholder

Rima Fakih Slaiby is an American former professional wrestler and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2010. Having previously been crowned Miss Michigan USA 2010, Fakih was the first Arab American woman and the third woman from Michigan to win the Miss USA title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nia Sanchez</span> American beauty pageant contestant

Nia Temple Booko (née Sanchez; born in 1990 is an American beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 2014.

Rachel Latuff is an American educator and beauty pageant titleholder from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who was crowned Miss Minnesota 2015. She competed for the Miss America 2016 title in September 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deshauna Barber</span> American model and U.S. Army officer

Deshauna Barber is an American motivational speaker, beauty pageant titleholder and captain in the United States Army Reserve. On June 5, 2016, she was crowned Miss USA 2016 by the outgoing titleholder Olivia Jordan of Oklahoma. She represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2016 pageant and finished as a Top 9 finalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Earth United States 2016</span> 12th edition of the Miss Earth United States beauty pageant

Miss Earth United States 2016 is the 12th edition of Miss Earth United States pageant that was held at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall in Alexandria, Virginia. Brittany Payne of California crowned her successor Corrin Stellakis of New York as Miss Earth United States 2016. Stellakis represented the United States in the Miss Earth 2016 pageant in the Philippines.

Miss USA 2020 was the 69th Miss USA pageant. It was held at the Exhibition Centre and the Soundstage at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 9, 2020. Akbar Gbaja-Biamila and Allie LaForce served as hosts, while Cheslie Kryst and Christian Murphy served as backstage commentators, and Haley Reinhart performed. Cheslie Kryst of North Carolina crowned Asya Branch of Mississippi as her successor at the end of the event. Branch is the second consecutive African American to win the title, and the fourth one in five years. This is Mississippi's first win at the Miss USA pageant. Branch represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2020 pageant and placed in the Top 21.

Miss USA 2024 was the 73rd Miss USA pageant, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California on August 4, 2024. Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii crowned Alma Cooper of Michigan at the end of the event. She will represent the United States at Miss Universe 2024 to be held in Mexico.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hyams, Rachel (April 22, 2019). "Okemos High School Star Alma Cooper More Than An Athlete". WKAR-FM .
  2. ↑ Ishikawa, Rachel; Mejia, Mercedes (May 30, 2024). "Stateside Podcast: Meet Miss Michigan USA 2024". Michigan Public .
  3. 1 2 Witsil, Frank (April 25, 2024). "Miss Michigan USA 2024, Alma Cooper, is also a soldier and mathematician". Detroit Free Press .
  4. 1 2 3 4 Ramsey, Rachel (April 29, 2024). "Miss Okemos wins Miss Michigan USA". WLNS .
  5. 1 2 3 "Alma Cooper". Stanford University . Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Maharjan, Rohit (August 5, 2024). "Miss USA Alma Cooper Is Of Afro-Latina Descent As She Was Born To A Mother Oralia Cooper, And Father Stacey Cooper". The Departure.
  7. 1 2 3 Cooper, Alma (April 17, 2024). "Why I want to be Miss Michigan". Knight-Hennessy Scholars.
  8. ↑ Uprety, Anuja (August 5, 2024). "Alma Cooper said her parents, Stacey and Oralia Cooper, are her biggest supporter, stating, 'They have never given up on me'". The Mom's Magazine.
  9. 1 2 Atwood, Sarah (April 24, 2024). "Okemos grad Alma Cooper crowned Miss Michigan, hopes to uplift 'girls of color'". Lansing State Journal .
  10. ↑ "Cooper '23 Named Miss Michigan, Will Compete in Miss USA". West Point Association of Graduates. April 23, 2024.
  11. ↑ Sobhan, Athena; Rice, Nicholas (August 4, 2024). "Miss Michigan Alma Cooper Wins Miss USA 2024 Months After Shocking Resignations". People .
  12. ↑ @missusa (February 10, 2024). "We're coming home.... to Hollywood!" . Retrieved February 10, 2024– via Instagram.
  13. ↑ Brockington, Ariana; Nicolaou, Elena. "Who won the Miss USA 2024 pageant? All about Alma Cooper of Michigan". Today . Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  14. 1 2 "New Miss USA crowned, capping tumultuous year of pageant controversy". CNN.com. August 4, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  15. ↑ Rees, Alex (August 4, 2024). "Miss Michigan Wins Miss USA—A Job Last Year's Winner Didn't Even Want". The Daily Beast .
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Miss USA
2024 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Alexis Fagan-Williams
 Miss Michigan USA
2024
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.