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Alma Cooper

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Alma Cooper
Cooper in 2024
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
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Army
Years of servicesince 2023
Rank Second lieutenant

Alma Oralia Minerva Cooper (born March 17, 2002) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2024. Cooper represented 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.

Early life and education

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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 Mexico 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

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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 50 other contestants.[13][14] As Miss USA 2024, Cooper represented the United States of America at Miss Universe 2024, but was unplaced, thus ending its 13-year streak of placements.[14][15]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b Witsil, Frank (April 25, 2024). "Miss Michigan USA 2024, Alma Cooper, is also a soldier and mathematician". Detroit Free Press.
  4. ^ a b c d Ramsey, Rachel (April 29, 2024). "Miss Okemos wins Miss Michigan USA". WLNS.
  5. ^ a b c "Alma Cooper". Stanford University. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  6. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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 (August 5, 2024). "Who won the Miss USA 2024 pageant? All about Alma Cooper of Michigan". Today. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "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.
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Media related to Alma Cooper at Wikimedia Commons

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Miss USA
2024 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Alexis Fagan-Williams
 Miss Michigan USA
2024
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