Alma Cooper, 22, said if there's one thing she's learned in her life so far, it's that our circumstances don't determine our destiny.

Alma Cooper, Miss Michigan, was crowned Miss USA on Sunday. CNN.

Cooper, 22, is currently an officer in the U.S. Army and a graduate of Stanford University. She beat out 50 other contestants in the pageant, which featured a parade of swimsuits and evening gowns. Her runners-up were Connor Perry of Kentucky and Danica Christopherson of Oklahoma.

In the end, when asked by the jury, Cooper said of herself that she was living the American dream as the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro-Latina woman and a U.S. Army officer. “If there’s one thing my life and my mother taught me, it’s that your circumstances never determine your destiny,” she added.

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Cooper was crowned by former Miss Hawaii Savannah Jankiewicz, who became the titleholder in May after her predecessor, Noelia Voigt of Utah, unexpectedly resigned. Voigt announced her decision on Instagram, saying she wanted to preserve her mental health.

CNN reported that they obtained Voigt's resignation letter, in which he complained, among other things, of a toxic environment that was “poor leadership at best and harassment at worst.” Miss Teen USA Uma Sophia Srivastava also resigned from her title, speaking out about how badly pageant organizers treat beauty queens. Miss USA President Lela Rose denied the allegations in a statement.

Cooper will represent the United States at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico this year.



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