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Washington's Heidi Stephens was crowned Mrs. American 2024 on Tuesday, August 27 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino. The 37-year-old certified emergency nurse and a mother of two bested over 40 other contestants from across the country to win the national title. Christina Joymon of Colorado was named first runner-up while Stacie Proctor of Utah finished as the second runner-up. Georgia's Caroline Kiernan, North Carolina's Madeline Stewart, and Tennessee's Corrin Stellakis Hein rounded out the Top 6 finalists. "As I embark on this incredible journey, I first want to pause and thank those who helped me to achieve this dream of becoming Mrs. American 2024," Heide wrote online. "My husband Jeff, and the best of us, Julian and Inez: you have brought out a strength in me that I didn’t know I was capable of. Thank you for growing me in my perseverance and heart," she added. The new Mrs. American succeeds last year's winner, Ballerina Farm's...

Mackenzie Kuiken, representing South Bend, was crowned Miss Washington Teen USA 2023 on Sunday, November 13 at the IKEA Performing Arts Center in Renton. The 16-year-old South Bend High School student succeeds last year's winner Kate Dixon and will now prepare to represent Washington at the Miss Teen USA 2023 pageant. Puget Sound representative Angelique Dela Cruz was named first runner-up while Summer Petrisko of Snoqualmie, Ella Roehr of Pierce County, and Calli Warren of Lewis County rounded out the Top 5 finalists. The new Miss Washington Teen USA is a member of her school's varsity cheer, volleyball, basketball, and track teams. Additionally, she is part of the National Honor Society and the social media manager for Key Club. Mackenzie’s platform “Girls with Game” is advocating the importance of physical and mental health by encouraging girls to get involved in sports, clubs, and the arts. In the future, she aspires to become a sports physical the...

Miss King County, Samantha Gallia was crowned Miss Washington USA 2023 in the state competition held on Sunday, November 13 at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center. The 24-year-old breast cancer support advocate is a graduate of a doctorate degree in dentistry from the University of the Pacific and is currently an oral and maxillofacial radiology resident at the University of Washington. She succeeded last year's winner Mazzy Eckel and will now represent Washington at Miss USA 2023 in Reno, Nevada. Green Lake's Taylor Mann and Stanwood's Stephanie Yerigan were respectively announced as the first and second runners-up while Mukilteo's Jesi Williams and West Bellevue's Starla Sampaco rounded out the Top 5 finalists. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha Gallia, DDS (@drsamanthagallia) "I have about a million thank yous to make, but for now- thank you to every person who has ever believed in me and poured into me. I am so gra...

Washington's Morgan Greco was crowned Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2023 on Friday, August 12 at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas, Texas. The runners-up were Lauren Williams of the District of Columbia, J-Belle Kimbrell of Texas, Julia Schumacher of Minnesota, and Dajania James of New York. Last year's winner, an actress and singer from Birmingham, Alabama, Marcelle LeBlanc, crowned her successor at the end of the event. A total of 51 most talented teens from across the USA competed in the American scholarship pageant that aims to "promote scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement for America's teens." The new Miss America's Outstanding Teen is an opera singer and businesswoman from Camas whose career goals include marketing, business, and opera. As a Krav Maga student, she advocates "Empowerment Starts With Me" to encourage young women to empower themselves through self-defense, and to build up women...