WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Alma Cooper, a U.S. Army Officer and Stanford Graduate student, took the Miss USA crown.
Now, a local D.C. National Guard Member shares her story about how this win is breaking barriers for women in uniform.
“Wow, just, wow,” said D.C. Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Jermaine Denee Bowens, reacting to the Miss USA win that aired on the CW.
Cooper, a self-described Afro-Latina, is making waves among women in uniform.
“I like her quote about, ‘don’t let your circumstances, you know, feed into your destiny,’” said Bowens. “Like you can change your destiny, it’s up to you”.
Bowens said Cooper’s win proves women in uniform can be triple threats.
“It definitely can show that you can be a triple threat,” said Bowens. “Just because I want to put a little nail polish on, you know, do up my hair, you know, whatever, doesn’t mean I can’t do the same job as a male in the military.”
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The win follows that of U.S. Air Force pilot and Harvard graduate student Madison Marsh, who won Miss America in January.
Bowens was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in foster care. She also competed in pageants.
“My case worker said, ‘Hey, I think you would be great at pageants.’ At first, I was like, ‘No,’ you know,” said Bowens. “But she said, ‘No, I definitely think you should represent and do it,’ and I did, and I had the best time…and it was a confidence builder.”
That confidence helped Bowens serve in the D.C. National Guard.
“Then I became a recruiter, so being able to recruit women so they would see me,” said Bowens. “They would see someone who looks like me, you and I, and say, ‘wait a minute, I can join too?”
She works in the recruitment office hoping to show young girls they can do both and inspire the next generation of women to serve.
“I’m a single parent, I’m a soldier, I’m a Girl Scout leader. I do everything, and I can, and they can too,” said Bowens.
Locally, Miss D.C. also made the top 20, and Miss Virginia made the top 10 at Miss USA.
(Courtesy: Jermaine Denee Bowens)
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Publish date : 2024-08-05 06:37:00
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