The days of pageants being all about hair, makeup and evening gowns are long gone. And if you don’t believe us, just ask this year’s Miss Michigan. Alma Cooper, crowned Miss Michigan 2024 recently, is also an active-duty Army officer and a data scientist studying at Stanford University.
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A self-described “math nerd,” Cooper graduated from West Point US Military Academy in 2023. The Okemos, Michigan native is continuing her studies –currently working on a master’s degree in statistics at Stanford University. Cooper’s new crown makes her the first active-duty Army officer to win the Miss Michigan title.
In an April 17 essay she wrote for Stanford’s Knight-Hennessy Scholars publication about why she wanted the Miss Michigan crown, 22-year-old Cooper, who is Afro-Latina, describes the inspiration she’s received from her parents over the years. Her mother was a migrant worker who competed in pageants and as a Division 1 track and field athlete. Cooper’s father was the first Army officer in their family.
“As a little girl, I found power in my story and culture, one rooted in grit, hard work, and striving for something better,” she wrote. “Inspired by my family’s example, I envisioned the possibility of serving my country and my home state by becoming the first active-duty Army officer to win Miss Michigan USA.”
Up next, Cooper will compete for the Miss USA crown on August 4 at The Millennium Biltmore in Los Angeles. And as she wrote in her April 17 essay, she is ready to represent for little girls of color everywhere.
“Other contestants may be drawn to pageants for their glitz and glamour, but I see the stage as an opportunity to represent the many girls of color who often go unseen and unheard, and to inspire others to free themselves from circumstances and perceptions about who they are,” she wrote.
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