Miss USA 2024: Soldier Alma Cooper's unique path to the crown

Alma Cooper is 22 years old and has just been crowned the new Miss USA. This might not be particularly surprising, except that she is a soldier in her daily life. See how she looks in her military uniform and how she looked at the Miss USA pageant!

The 22-year-old U.S. Army officer from Okemos was crowned Miss USA during the 73rd contest held on Sunday in Los Angeles, California. Alma Cooper hopes that with her new title, she will bring goodness and make the world a better place.

Cooper professionally serves in the U.S. Army and is an officer. She graduated with honours from the West Point Military Academy.

As the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro Latina woman and an officer of the United States Army, I am living the American dream, said the new Miss, quoted by CNN.

After her recent win in the Miss USA 2024 pageant, 22-year-old Alma Cooper expressed her readiness to tackle global food issues in an interview with US Weekly.

Hailing from Michigan, Cooper emphasised that this is a personal matter for her, motivated by her mother’s experiences.

I want to uplift the voices of those who often go unheard and be a changemaker, be a force for good within this sector, she stated, adding that the research work she does at Stanford University in the field of health and nutrition is her path to achieving that goal.

Regardless of her social engagement, Cooper also has lighter interests. She admits to being fascinated by Zendaya and Tom Holland and loves shows like "Vanderpump Rules" and "Selling Sunset".

Her love for Disney movies, especially "Ratatouille", "Finding Nemo", and "The Incredibles", is presented with humour, even though she faces some slight teasing for it.

Following her triumph in the national beauty pageant, Cooper will represent the United States at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant, held in Mexico in November of this year.