00:00Elma Cooper, you are Miss USA 2024.
00:06You've had a little bit of time now to let that sink in.
00:08Do you believe it?
00:11Yes, a little bit.
00:12This still feels so surreal.
00:13I'm going to have to watch it on video to believe it, for sure.
00:16Well, you gave a very riveting answer in your final question.
00:19And you talked all about how multifaceted you are.
00:22I think there's still a misconception
00:23that pageant girls are just a pretty face.
00:26How do you defy that misconception?
00:28I think myself and the 50 women who are on stage with me
00:31defy that in every way, shape, or form.
00:33In diversity, in culture, in passion,
00:36in education, in business and industry.
00:39I mean, the women on that stage, every single one,
00:42are a leader in some degree or field in which
00:44they are passionate about.
00:45And I think that all of us can go back
00:48to our own respective states and represent that and lead
00:51that in our own ways.
00:53We are ushering in a new era of pageantry
00:55with rule changes being made.
00:57Miss USA is a different woman today than she was 50 years ago.
01:00Who, to you, is Miss USA 2024?
01:03I would, you know, I remember dreaming about this moment
01:06and just getting myself ready to be in this opportunity
01:11and to be a competitor on the Miss USA stage.
01:14And I remember thinking that I want to be a connector
01:19and I want to do good for other people.
01:21I think that success is not when you cross the finish line.
01:23It's when you uplift other people to cross the finish line
01:26alongside you.
01:27And I cannot ask for a better group of women
01:30to stand alongside and sharing that message.
01:33There's so much meaning in being a part of something
01:36bigger than yourself.
01:37And I think that in every opportunity I've had,
01:40that's something that I've taken away.
01:42What's the biggest obstacle or hurdle
01:44that you've had to overcome to have this triumph?
01:47You know, I remember even just debating
01:49if I was going to be able to compete or tackling and dealing
01:53with this dream that I wanted to do
01:55and having it delayed, but never denied.
01:57And I remember talking to my mentor and she said,
02:00you know, chase your dreams, really,
02:03like you have forged through so much.
02:06And if this is something you truly want to do,
02:08this is just another form of demanding excellence
02:10of yourself.
02:12And that to me really stuck with me.
02:14I just said, you know what,
02:15that's what's going to forge this path
02:18for so many other young women.
02:19I mean, I am standing on the shoulders of giants.
02:21There are women who have come before me
02:22who have paved the path.
02:24And I hope to walk alongside them in that message
02:28and bring along the next group of women,
02:30the next group of leaders,
02:31the next group of people who are also going to carry on
02:33in that message and their passions.
02:36You talked in your onstage question
02:37about being Afro-Latina.
02:39Talk about the importance of pageantry
02:41to the Latin community.
02:42I mean, what do you have to say to the Latin fans?
02:44There's so many that are watching you right now.
02:46Oh my goodness.
02:47Well, first, I'm just so grateful.
02:49I remember after prelims,
02:50my phone was just blowing up with so many kind messages
02:54and just seeing so many women be celebrated alongside me.
02:57That is what means the most.
02:58That means that diversity is so, so beautiful.
03:02And it's something that unites us.
03:04It gives us hope and hope is addictive.
03:06I know that the women that I shared that stage with
03:09represent their own stories,
03:11their own backgrounds, their own cultures.
03:13I, as a proud Afro-Latina,
03:14I mean, I remember finding so much inspiration growing up
03:17from my mother who is Latina
03:19and my dad who's African-American
03:20and what that meant to me
03:22carrying on in intergenerational steps to bridge gaps,
03:25to break down barriers, to break stereotypes.
03:28So really just so grateful.
03:30And I mean, I can't wait to see my mom.
03:34Speaking of being multicultural and speaking of diversity,
03:38you are just months away from stepping foot
03:40on the Miss Universe stage in Mexico.
03:43How are you gonna represent our country
03:45on the international stage?
03:47I'm gonna do so with service in the forefront of my heart.
03:51I think that this opportunity is the chance to,
03:55one, be a part of something bigger than myself,
03:57but then also bridge gaps and break down barriers
03:59for people who are looking to find encouragement
04:03and to find hope in a story or someone who looks like them
04:07that they can aspire to be.
04:08I think that being on the Miss Universe stage,
04:11the message is that if you can see me, you can be me.
04:14And that this, I do not have to stand here alone.
04:16There are other people from whatever background,
04:19what other circumstances you come from
04:22can be alongside me in this message, in this story.
04:24And it's what unites us, not only in the United States,
04:27but across the country and the globe.
04:30It is what brings us together.
04:32United we stand in this country.
04:34Sometimes it can be very polarized,
04:36but I think that what gives us hope and what unites us
04:39is seeing people and leaders who are truly dedicated
04:42to their passions and willing to be forces for good.
04:46Well, I know you've talked a little bit about your mom.
04:48I wanna give you a moment right now on camera
04:49to shout out whoever you want.
04:52Who do you wanna shout out right now?
04:53I wanna say hi to Gabe and Grace.
04:56They're at home watching and I love you guys so much.
05:00You guys are just so awesome.
05:02Alma Cooper, Miss USA 2024, congratulations once again.
05:06Thank you so much.
Comments