Exclusive: I Was The First Ever Married Woman To Compete In The Miss USA Pageant
Just days after representing Maine at the 72nd annual Miss USA competition in Reno, NV, I received this message from one of my mentors: “A married girl just texted me that she’s going to compete. So yes, you did make a difference.”
For the non-pageant aficionado reading this, let me explain. For over 72 years, the Miss USA pageant has been an incredible outlet for women to refine their skills and capitalize on opportunities to propel them forward in life. However, this opportunity was never open to married women. For years, women with their eyes on the Miss USA stage put engagements and marriages on hold in order to live their dreams and seize the opportunity of competing on the big stage. I found myself in this very position in April 2022. I was at a fork in the road: marriage or pageants?