The reigning Miss Michigan USA doesn’t just wear a pageant sash, she also proudly wears her Army uniform.

2nd Lt. Alma Cooper is not only an active-duty Soldier in the U.S. Army, but she is the reigning Miss Michigan USA 2024 and a graduate student at Stanford University, where she’s part of the prestigious Knight-Hennesey Scholars program. This summer, she hopes to add the title of Miss USA to her many achievements.

2nd Lt. Cooper is a shining example of how the Army helps soldiers reach their full potential. Equally inspired by her father’s legacy of service in the Army and her mother’s history competing in pageants, 2nd Lt. Cooper has always wanted to be part of something bigger than herself. She began competing in pageants at the age of 14 and simultaneously set her eyes on acceptance to West Point. Today she’s able to successfully pursue her personal passions on the pageant circuit with the benefits and support the Army provides.

Much like being a soldier, being a pageant title-holder isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life. Hear from 2nd Lt. Cooper about how she’s able to balance her two paths of service and how the skills she’s developed as a soldier have prepared her to take the stage at Miss USA August 4th in Hollywood.

2nd Lt. Cooper will use her platform when competing for the national title to bring awareness to food insecurity around the nation in line with her current studies at Stanford and influenced by the Army’s value of always making sure people are cared for.

For many women in the Army, seeing their peers succeed in such diverse arenas reinforces the idea that they too can achieve their dreams, regardless of the field, while underscoring the message that the skills and values cultivated in the Army are influential in all aspects of life.

2nd Lt. Cooper’s story is proof that the Army can help young people to Be All You Can Be in and out of uniform.

For more information, visit GoArmy.com

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