Alma Cooper said that the moment she found out she was Miss Michigan USA 2024 is one she’ll never forget.
“My reign is so much bigger than myself,” Cooper said. “It represents every young girl with a dream, every woman of color who is looking to break barriers and break down stereotypes and pursue excellence in their passions.”
Cooper, a West Point graduate originally from Okemos, is the first active army officer to win the Miss Michigan USA title. She is currently completing a Master of Science in data science at Stanford University where she’s the recipient of the Knight Hennessy Scholarship.
This summer, in between semesters, Cooper will go on to represent Michigan in the Miss USA pageant. Her reign comes during a new wave of controversy surrounding the Miss USA Organization. Nonetheless, Cooper has big plans for her term.
“I want to use my year to spread the message of demanding excellence in everyone's own personal life, taking the driver's seat of whatever goal, dream, or passion it is that gets you up in the morning,” Cooper said.
She’s also hoping to use this year to shed light on an issue close to home: food insecurity. Federal data shows that around 11.9% of Michiganders are food insecure. Cooper said that her mother, a former migrant worker who competed in pageants herself as a young adult, is the inspiration behind her passion.
“She suffered with food insecurity when she was younger. And I know her story is not alone,” Cooper explained. “So why not use my reign to share that message and empower other Michiganders?”
Cooper’s lineage is a big part of who she is and how she represents herself. Even her name represents the generations of family members that have preceded her.
“I am a proud African American Latina woman,” Cooper said. “I mean my name, Alma Oralia Minerva Cooper; Alma means soul in Spanish. It was the name of my dad's mom. Aurelia is my mother's name. Minerva is my mom's mom's name. And then Cooper, my last name, it's what makes my father and [my] army service uniform identical.”
Being authentic and representing where she comes from has been a big part of competing in pageants for Cooper, and no doubt will continue to be so as she moves on to Miss USA.
“That crucial piece of who I am is what has shown through in my time already competing at Miss
Michigan USA and then even getting to go on to Miss USA. I think being true to who I am and being true to those identities that I represent is what makes me Alma.”
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Alma Cooper, Miss Michigan USA 2024
[Get Stateside on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or YouTube Music today.]
