Alma Cooper, the winner of Miss USA 2024, has explained that her family values became the driving force for her success, and she is nothing but grateful to her parents.
Key Takeaways
- Alma Cooper won the title of Miss USA 2024, and in the process, she thanked her parents.
- She is of Afro-Latina ethnicity, the daughter of a black father, Stacey Cooper, and a Latina mother, Oralia Cooper.
- Cooper draws inspiration from her parents; her father is a retired army officer, and her mother competed in pageants.
Born on March 17, 2002, the 22-year-old beat 50 other contestants to wear the crown of Miss USA 2024.
During the Q&A session in the finale, she told the judges:
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. If there’s anything that my life and my mother have taught me, it’s that your circumstances never define your destiny: You can make success accessible through demanding excellence.
Alma Cooper
Parents Are Her Influence
Alma Cooper credits her family as her support system, as they have greatly impacted her life.
My parents also have had a huge impact in my life. They have never given up on me and have always supported me. They always know what to say when I need guidance and they also have a lot of confidence in my abilities which inspires me to keep up my efforts and strive for greater things.
Alma Cooper
At no point did my parents ever pressure me into attending one university over another. They have always been very supportive of my decisions in regards to college.
Alma Cooper
Alma followed the footsteps of her mother, Oralia Cooper, a high school administrator who also competed in pageants.
Not only that, her mother also ran track at Idaho State University and was an All-American in high school.
While talking about her mother, Miss USA mentioned that her ungiving spirit is from her mother:
From my mother, a migrant worker from the age of six, I learned never to say “I can’t.” She would go on to compete as a Division 1 track and field athlete, a pursuit that lifted her out of poverty and changed the course of her life.
Alma Cooper
Seeing her daughter carry on her dream was unbelievable for Oralia.
When Cooper decided at 14 to compete in Miss Michigan Teen USA, it was Oralia who sewed the dress that she wore — adding hundreds of beads to a handed-down gown.
After Alma won Miss Michigan USA, she said,
I just could not believe it. And when they said her name, Alma Cooper, it was just unreal.
Oralia Cooper
In addition to her success in a beauty pageant, she is also an army officer who will soon be a Second Lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Branch.
Her father, Stacey Cooper, an army officer, inspired her to pursue a career in the military.
He served 24 years in the army and retired as a Major.
Before joining West Point, she said,
My father was the first Army officer in the family, and I was excited to follow in his footsteps, push my physical limits, and hone my leadership skills.
Alma Cooper
Her dad is happy with her decision and says,
I think she just got a chance to see someone commit to something that’s bigger than themselves.
Stacey Cooper
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Alma Cooper was a multi-sport athlete in high school, competing in basketball, track, and volleyball.
- Her elder sister, Brooke, is cognitively impaired.
- She is the first active-duty Army officer to compete and win Miss Michigan USA.
- Copper is a Knight-Hennessy scholar pursuing a master’s degree in statistics at Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences.
