Hazel Homer-Wambeam | |
|---|---|
| Born | Laramie, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Education | University of Wyoming |
| Occupation | brand manager |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Title | Miss Wyoming 2022 |
| Major competition(s) | Miss Wyoming 2022 (Winner) Miss America 2023 |
Hazel Homer-Wambeam is an American brand manager and former beauty pageant titleholder. She became the first Jewish woman to win Miss Wyoming when she was crowned in 2022.
Homer-Wambeam is Jewish and from Laramie, Wyoming. [1] Growing up, her family worshipped in a local Masonic Temple since there is no synagogue in the city. [1] Her mother is Jewish and her father is not. [1] Homer-Wambeam attended Hebrew school and celebrated Jewish holidays growing up, but did not observe Shabbat and did not have a Bat Mitzvah. [1]
In 2015, she produced a 10-minute documentary film about Stan Lee and the creation of the Marvel Universe, which won first place at Wyoming's state competition for National History Day. [2] She went on to compete in the national competition in Washington, D.C. [2]
She studied theatre and dance performance at the University of Wyoming, [3] where she served as the student president of the university's chapter of Hillel International. [4] She curated the university's exhibition on Stan Lee at the American Heritage Center. [5]
She worked as a brand manager for Kartoon Studios' Stan Lee Universe in Los Angeles. [6] [5] She oversees Stan Lee Universe's social media platforms and has collaborated with celebrities including Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. [5]
Homer-Wambeam won the Miss University of Wyoming pageant and won Distinguished Young Woman for Wyoming in 2019. [7]
She was crowned Miss Wyoming on June 25, 2022. [4] She was the first Jewish woman to ever win the Miss Wyoming title in the pageant's 101-year history. [1] Homer-Wambeam competed as a delegate in the Miss America 2022 pageant. [8] Her platform, called “EveryBODY Dance, Body Positivity through Movement", was a body positivity through dance education initiative. [4] Trained as a singer and dancer, she performed a musical number from Chicago for the talent portion of the competition. [8] She placed fourth in the fundraising category, collecting $2,800 in six months to go towards scholarships for future contestants. [8] Homer-Wambeam received $8,500 in scholarships from Miss Wyoming, Miss America, and the University of Wyoming to go towards her own education. [8]