Alma Cooper on Becoming the First Afro-Latina Army Officer to Win Miss USA: ‘If You Can See Me, You Can Be Me’

After years of backlash and criticism, the Miss USA organization seems to be stirring in the right direction. Last Sunday night, the pageant crowned Alma Cooper, a badass Afro-Latina Second Lieutenant.

“As the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro-Latina woman, and an Officer of the United States Army, I’m living the American dream,” Cooper said onstage.

FIERCE had the honor to speak with Alma Cooper about her trajectory, the meaning of living “the American dream,” and the power of representation.

A strong Afro-Latina who can do it all

Alma Cooper is an Active-Duty Army Soldier, a Knight-Hennessy scholar, a food security advocate, and now Miss USA. Born in 2002 in Okemos, Michigan, Cooper is of African-American and Latino descent. Her father is a retired major in the United States Army. Her mother is a former pageant contestant and migrant worker who came to the United States when she was six.

“If there’s anything that my life and my mother have taught me, it’s that your circumstances never define your destiny,” Cooper said last Sunday. “That you can make success accessible through demanding excellence.”

For Cooper, the key to success is discipline

Alma Cooper skipped the third grade and graduated one year early from Okemos High School in 2019. After graduating, she moved to West Point, New York, and followed in her father’s footsteps. She enrolled in the United States Military Academy (USMA), where she studied mathematical science and graduated in 2023.

Then, Cooper was accepted as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University. She is pursuing a Master of Science in statistics on the data science track.

For Cooper, the common denominator between pageants, academia, and the military is discipline. “The intrinsic motivation I developed at West Point has allowed me to maintain my personal motto, ‘demand excellence,’” she told FIERCE. “By seeking out opportunities to learn, grow, and develop, I have continued to forge my character and use my discipline to set goals for myself.”

Furthermore, through the Knight Hennessy Scholarship program, Alma assures having found community and support. “The similarity between the camaraderie built in the military and the community shared in Knight Hennessy has allowed me to strive to be my best in a healthy, vibrant environment.”

As an Afro-Latina in the Army, Cooper is thriving

Alma Cooper lives by the phrase, “If you can see me, you can be me,” and she knows being an example is a huge responsibility.

“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 told us. “I hope to show young women that the Army is made up of individuals from all walks of life—representing diverse geographies, genders, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, and abilities—and the only limits you face are the ones you set for yourself.”

One of those limits was her hesitancy in applying for a graduate scholarship. “I remember being unsure if I was competitive enough to apply,” she confessed. However, after visiting with her mentor, she found the courage and confidence in herself, her story, and her work ethic.

Alma Cooper brings a long-overdue representation and hopes to inspire young Afro-Latinas out there

While some people might think that soldiers have to put their interests and hobbies on hold when they join the Army, Cooper insists nothing could be further from the truth.

“The Army allows me the work-life balance I need to pursue my passions both in and out of uniform,” she said. “I already have an amazing support system in my friends and family, but knowing that I have the Army’s full support motivates me to keep striving for my goals and carries me through my journey to Miss USA.”

Before winning Miss Michigan USA, Cooper was first runner-up at Miss Michigan Teen USA. She balanced her goals in the Army with a career as a professional model throughout the Midwestern United States. Cooper soon became the first active-duty officer in the United States Army to compete for the Miss Michigan USA title. She qualified in 2024 to represent the state at the national pageant.

Cooper won the crown in a competition against 51 contestants and will now represent the country at Miss Universe 2024.

As a Knight-Hennessy scholar at Stanford, Cooper is earning an MS in data science. She is furthering her research on diet and food insecurity at the Stanford Nutrition Studies Research Group.

“I plan to use my platform to conduct research into nutrition and bring awareness to food insecurity around the nation,” she concluded. “My ultimate goal is to be the best Miss USA and Army Intelligence Officer I can be and elevate the voices of underrepresented minorities.”