It’s almost time to crown the next Miss America.
On September 6, 52 women from around the country will gather at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, for the chance to win the coveted title.
The winner will be crowned by Miss America 2026 Cassie Donnegan and will take home a $50,000 scholarship.
Before you watch the competition — which will stream on PageantVision.com at 7 p.m. ET — meet the 52 women competing for the crown.
Alabama: Ruby Tilghman
Ruby Tilghman, 22, graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in chemistry. She is an incoming student at the university’s Heersink School of Medicine. Tilghman previously represented Florida at the Miss America’s Teen competition in 2021.
Tilghman is an avid hiker who has visited 28 national parks. She is also a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award.
Alaska: Nora Andrews
Nora Andrews, 20, is a senior at Grand Canyon University, where she is studying psychology and professional writing. She is hoping to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and a certification in sex and relational education and therapy.
Andrews is also an advocate for suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
Arizona: Victoria Vredevoogd
Victoria Vredevoogd, 25, is a law student at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
The pageant queen founded and serves as president of The Gender Violence Project, an organization at ASU that advocates for survivors and provides free legal resources. She also wrote and published her own fantasy novel, titled “A Legend of Golden Shadows.”
Arkansas: Ava Weeks
Ava Weeks, 20, is a student at Ouachita Baptist University. She hopes to become a secondary English teacher.
Weeks became an advocate for passenger safety after witnessing a terrible car accident when she was a teenager, according to her Miss America bio. Her community initiative is “Every Seat. Every Ride. Buckle Up.”
Weeks has won over $50,000 in scholarships from competing in the Miss America system.
California: Sharlize True Trujillo
Sharlize True Trujillo, 22, is pursuing a degree in gender studies and a minor in film and television from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is planning to attend law school and study entertainment law.
The pageant queen is also a dancer, actress, and content creator. She has more than 2 million followers on TikTok.
Colorado: Gabrielle Burns
Gabrielle Burns, 23, is pursuing a master’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder. She is studying to become a speech-language pathologist.
Burns is an advocate for communication disorders and disabilities. She’s also a professional ballroom dancer.
Connecticut: Christa Steiner
Christa Steiner, 27, graduated from the Manhattan School of Music, where she earned a degree in vocal performance and musical theater.
Steiner is a professional singer and voice teacher. She is using her Miss America platform to advocate for increased access to mental health treatment.
Delaware: Anaya Harrison
Anaya Harrison, 24, earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Biden School of Public Policy at the University of Delaware. She plans to attend law school.
Harrison works as a congressional aide in the US House of Representatives, where she “helps constituents navigate federal agencies,” according to her Miss America bio.
District of Columbia: Evelyn Smith
Evelyn Smith, 25, graduated from Oklahoma City University with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and minors in political science and studio art. She was the first Black woman to win Miss Oklahoma’s Teen, and she made it to the top nine at the Miss America’s Teen 2018 competition.
Smith has certified more than 1,000 individuals in CPR. She used her own skills to save her mother’s life during a heart attack, according to her Miss America bio.
Florida: Alexandra de Roos
Alexandra de Roos, 23, is an honors student at the University of South Florida, where she is studying psychology. She plans to attend medical school and become a neuropsychiatrist.
The pageant queen was previously a student at the School of American Ballet, but her dancing career was cut short after a traumatic brain injury. She founded The Blue Project nonprofit to advocate for brain injury education and healing through the arts, according to her Miss Florida bio.
Georgia: Sophia Wootten
Sophia Wootten, 21, is pursuing a degree in communication sciences and disorders at the University of Georgia. She is planning to become a pediatric audiologist.
Wootten made history as the first Miss America contestant with a cleft lip and palate. She has undergone 20 reconstructive surgeries and wears hearing aids. The pageant queen wants to use her platform to “redefine what representation looks like for children with disabilities,” according to her Miss America bio.
Hawaii: Carly Yoshida
Carly Yoshida, 26, earned a degree in social sciences from the University of Hawai’i – West O’ahu and plans to pursue a professional meteorology degree.
Yoshida is a field reporter, digital content producer, and on-air weather personality for KITV 4 Island News, an ABC affiliate in Honolulu. She previously won Miss Hawaii’s Teen in 2016.
Idaho: Déja Fitzwater
Déja Fitzwater, 21, is studying communications at the University of Idaho. She is an avid 4-H volunteer and won Miss Oregon’s Teen in 2022.
Fitzwater, an advocate for agricultural literacy, is using her platform to “help young people better understand the people, science, and industries behind their food and natural resources,” according to her Miss America bio.
Illinois: Kate Dimmett
Kate Dimmett, 23, graduated from both the Kelley School of Business and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. The pageant queen is a professional violinist.
Dimmett is the president of Notable Measures, a nonprofit she launched at 13 to expand access to music education. According to her Miss America bio, she has raised over $90,000 and provided 170 grants through her organization.
She previously won Miss Indiana’s Teen in 2021.
Indiana: Ellise Edwards
Ellise Edwards, 22, graduated from the University of South Florida. She is a content creator with over 127,000 followers on TikTok, where she shares videos of her curly-hair routine and her experience as a postgrad.
Edwards wants to help businesses grow their online presence “through strategic social media marketing,” according to her Miss America bio.
Iowa: McKenzie Kerry
McKenzie Kerry, 27, graduated from the Belk College of Business at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has been involved in organizations including Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates and Big Brothers Big Sisters Workplace Mentoring.
Kerry was recruited into Principal Financial Group’s three-year leadership development program. She currently serves as a learning and development consultant.
Kansas: Sophie Lewis
Sophie Lewis, 23, graduated with honors from the University of Kansas with a degree in biochemistry and a minor in business.
Lewis works as a medical sales consultant and is helping expand access to biomarker blood testing for early lung cancer detection, according to her Miss America bio.
The pageant queen made history as the first Asian American woman to win the title of Miss Kansas.
Kentucky: Reagan Earlywine
Reagan Earlywine, 24, is a third-year dental student at the University of Louisville. She is a recipient of the Excellence in Dental Gross and Neurological Anatomy award.
Earlywine plans to become an orthodontist someday. She is using her platform to advocate for access to preventive oral healthcare.
Louisiana: Shelby Bordelon
Shelby Bordelon, 24, is pursuing her master’s in strategic communication at Southeastern Louisiana University.
She founded Claire’s Promise, Inc., a nonprofit organization that works to prevent impaired driving, after her friend was killed by an impaired driver. She is also a spokesperson for MADD Louisiana.
Maine: Ruthie Gusler
Ruthie Gusler, 19, is studying business administration at the University of Maine at Farmington, where she plays soccer. She hopes to become a real estate agent.
Gusler created the Wonder Kids community service initiative to advocate for children who survive abuse.
Maryland: Gianna Romero
Gianna Romero, 21, is a student at Stevenson University, where she studies business communication. She wants to work in sports marketing after college, interning in the athletics department at Calvert Hall College High School.
Romero advocates for healthy relationships, sharing her own experience of being in an abusive relationship for two years to help others.
Massachusetts: Ashlyn Mercier
Ashlyn Mercier, 25, is a police officer. She earned her undergraduate degree in national security from the University of New Haven in Connecticut and her master’s degree in criminal justice from Boston University.
Mercier created Nick’s Courage: One Smile Goes a Mile, an initiative designed to support children with cancer. Her brother had cancer twice as a child, so the program is close to her heart.
Michigan: Grace Hanke
Grace Hanke, 19, is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Detroit Mercy, participating in the school’s accelerated master’s program.
She wants to ensure other young women have access to STEM opportunities, so she created the Engineer Her Future US initiative. Hanke has also partnered with several organizations to promote STEM education and access nationally.
Minnesota: Anna Brennan
Anna Brennan, 20, hopes to become a news anchor, so she is studying journalism at the University of St. Thomas. She is also a professional ballerina.
Brennan created MediaWELL, an initiative that aims to provide media literacy education to people of all ages.
Mississippi: Jane Granberry
Jane Granberry, 23, is a student in the MBA program at the University of Mississippi. She used her integrated marketing and communications degree from the school as an influencer marketing and PR coordinator at Tarte Cosmetics.
She launched Literacy Without Limits, which provides literacy education and tools to people in Mississippi. She was first runner-up in the Miss Mississippi pageant in 2024 and 2025 before being crowned queen.
Missouri: Tabitha Crain
Tabitha Crain, 24, is a law student at the University of Missouri. She wants to use her degree to advocate for survivors of domestic violence. According to her Miss America bio, she has raised over $500,000 to support survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.
Crain is passionate about fitness, as she is a former cheerleader and gymnast. She teaches spin classes in her free time.
Montana: Adella Harris
Adella Harris, 19, studies political science at Montana State University, where she is an honors student. She wants to go to law school after college and hopes to run for office someday.
Harris created the Made for More initiative, encouraging children to chase their dreams.
Nebraska: Lexi Nolda
Lexi Nolda, 22, earned a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and health sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After skin cancer affected members of her family, Nolda hopes to someday become a dermatology nurse practitioner.
Nolda advocates for skin cancer prevention, and she hopes to expand that work if she is crowned Miss America.
Nevada: Mariah Larronde
Mariah Larronde, 27, got her bachelor’s degree in digital audiences and media analysis at Arizona State University. She plans to pursue a master’s in data science while working toward her goal of becoming an actress.
Larronde wants to support children who lose a parent or have a parent struggling with an illness, so she created the Hidden Caregiver Network.
New Hampshire: Lauren Plank
Lauren Plank, 21, is a student in an accelerated master’s program at the University of New Hampshire. Her goal is to become an elementary school teacher.
She believes in the power of volunteering, so she created a program to encourage children to get involved with service work.
New Jersey: Kylie Gene Wright
Kylie Gene Wright, 23, is studying business administration. She also works at AmeriKick Karate Studio, where she uses her second-degree black belt to teach classes.
Wright is an advocate for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, and she serves as the East Coast Chapter President of T.A.K.E. Defense, a role in which she has raised over $10,000, according to her Miss America bio.
New Mexico: Katarina Blakeslee
Katarina Blakeslee, 26, got her bachelor’s degrees in public health and theater performance from Tulane University and holds an MFA in screenwriting from the University of Southern California. She has worked on films and TV shows for studios like A24 and Netflix.
Blakeslee is pursuing a Master of Anesthesia program at the University of New Mexico and works in her state’s only Level One Trauma Center.
She is also passionate about literacy advocacy and wrote the children’s book “Valiant and the Bubble.”
New York: Madison Oh
Madison Oh, 21, studies English, dance, and business management at Columbia University. She would love to dance on Broadway someday.
She advocates for the Minds Matter: Education Empowers initiative, which supports students applying to college and seeking career opportunities.
North Carolina: Lauryn Mallard
Lauryn Mallard, 26, has a bachelor’s degree in nutritional science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and an MBA in healthcare management from High Point University. She wants to become a physician assistant.
Mallard has worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for almost 20 years, raising money for pediatric cancer care and research.
North Dakota: Emma Tong
Emma Tong, 23, studied biology at the University of Alabama and will attend the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences to become a doctor. She wants to be a radiation oncologist.
She was previously named Miss North Dakota’s Outstanding Teen 2021.
Ohio: Lexie Miller
Lexie Miller, 23, is a cardiovascular ICU nurse who graduated from the University of Akron.
Her career was inspired by her parents, who work as a first responder and a healthcare professional. Miller hopes to raise awareness for cardiovascular health.
Oklahoma: Jaselyn Rossman
Jaselyn Rossman, 22, has a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a minor in finance from Oklahoma State University — but she’s not stopping there. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in the field.
She’s also passionate about creating work opportunities for people with disabilities and has worked with Special Olympics and The Bridges organization.
In her free time, she volunteers as a presenter for Oklahoma Cares for Children and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Control.
Oregon: Allyssa Defillipo
Allyssa Defillipo, 26, has dreams of becoming a holistic nutritionist. She works as both a manager of a chiropractic and wellness business and as a women’s nutrition and fitness coach.
She was inspired by her childhood in a low-income home to expand nutrition education and access to healthy foods. Defillipo has also written a children’s book.
Pennsylvania: Stephanie Skinner
Stephanie Skinner, 21, is an advocate for children who have nontraditional upbringings. She herself was raised by a single mother who served as a US Army Major.
Some of Skinner’s recent accomplishments include graduating from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and performing at the FIFA World Cup Fourth of July ceremony.
Puerto Rico: Annika Schneider
Annika Schneider, 21, is a dancer, cheerleader, and graduate of Pfeiffer University. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management and leadership.
She was the first Hispanic woman to be crowned Miss North Carolina Teen, and now, as Miss Puerto Rico, she aims to advocate for the benefits of reading.
Rhode Island: Mia Daley
Mia Daley, 19, is an arts student at Salve Regina University. She dreams of performing on Broadway and is passionate about storytelling onstage.
She’s also an advocate for improving mental health through dance. She believes it has the power to heal and serve as a tool for self-expression.
South Carolina: Lindsay Jones
Lindsay Jones, 26, works as a national sales manager for a world-renowned tool company, where she leads a multimillion-dollar territory, according to her Miss America bio. She has an MBA and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in business.
In her free time, Jones works with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and serves on its board.
South Dakota: Kianna Healy
Kianna Healy, 23, is a performer. She first took the stage at age 7 and has since participated in vocal and theater productions across the country.
She graduated from Pace University with degrees in film and arts and entertainment management. Healy is also passionate about animal welfare.
Tennessee: Makalyn Heaslett
Makalyn Heaslett, 27, has brought business to the sports world. She graduated from Auburn University, previously worked for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, and is now an account executive for the Tennessee Titans.
Heaslett is also pursuing a master’s degree in sport administration at Belmont University.
As a volunteer, she works with Girls Inc. to provide mentorship and leadership to young girls. She’s helped raise more than $23,000 for its various organizations, according to her Miss America bio.
Texas: Regan Hutsell
Regan Hutsell, 25, is a former Radio City Rockette and ballerina who now aims to become a physical therapist for dancers.
She’s working toward her bachelor’s degree in health sciences and is an advocate for self-confidence and mental health.
Utah: Erika Dalton
Erika Dalton, 26, is the first Japanese American to be crowned Miss Utah.
She’s also a Juilliard scholarship recipient, a professional violinist who’s performed at Carnegie Hall, and a University of Michigan graduate with degrees in violin performance and business.
Dalton also serves as a state-certified crisis advocate and volunteer for the Sexual Assault Hotline.
Vermont: Hannah Roque
Hannah Roque, 26, has a deep history with Miss America. Her mom was Miss Vermont 1996.
Roque works in higher education and has a bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education. She’s also an advocate for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement.
Virginia: Maddie Marchant
Maddie Marchant, 22, is a media and communication student at East Tennessee State University. She plans to become a journalist.
She’s also the founder of the Buddy Bunch Club, which provides people with disabilities the chance to learn social, academic, and professional skills.
Washington: Natalie Worthy
Natalie Worthy, 23, graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a music degree and is now working toward a master’s degree in arts policy and administration at Ohio State University.
She founded Amplify the Arts, a nonprofit organization, to merge her passions for vocal instruction and performing with her commitment to helping others.
West Virginia: Elizabeth Romanek
Elizabeth Romanek, 24, was a competitive dancer and D1 athlete, so she’s passionate about exercise and movement.
She is an ambassador of the West Virginia Physical Activity Plan. Romanek is also a master’s student at Bethany College and the assistant director of admission and recruitment events at the school.
Wisconsin: Jordenne Butler
Jordenne Butler, 27, was inspired by her father’s experience with stage four throat and neck cancer to write “Bentley Bounces Back,” a children’s book.
She’s also an advocate for resilience education and support of kids who have experienced adverse childhood experiences. Butler has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a minor in creative media from Viterbo University.
Wyoming: Alyssa Medina
Alyssa Medina, 22, is a sixth-grade teacher who earned her degrees in elementary and special education from the University of Wyoming.
She has a sister, Briana, who’s inspired Medina to support and bring joy to children who have disabilities.
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