Deshauna Barber: 5 Things to Know About Miss USA
As of Sunday night, there’s a new Miss USA in the District of Columbia's Deshauna Barber, an Army Reserve officer.
The first lieutenant, 26, was crowned at the T-Mobile Arena in Las
Vegas, and there's a lot more to know about this game-changing winner.
Here are five fun, fast facts about the new Miss USA.
She's a Proud Army Officer
Here’s one of her quotes that’s making the rounds. "We are just as tough
as men," she said when asked about her role in the armed forces and the
integration of women into every branch.
Indeed, she's the first-ever Miss USA winner to be in the military.
"As a commander of my unit, I'm powerful, I am dedicated," she added in the question-and-answer portion of the competition.
Barber, a U.S. Department of Commerce
IT analyst and graduate of Virginia State University, plans to take a
break to tour and represent the crown. The logistics commander has been
in the military for five years.
She's Excited About Moving to NY
It's not a long journey from D.C. to New York City, but the winner
posted a video Sunday night about how excited she is to take the crown
and with it, move to New York City.
"This is so surreal," she says in the clip. "I'm moving to New York
tomorrow and I cannot wait for this reign to start. I look forward to
meeting all my fans."
Her Platform for Veterans
Barber will focus on drawing attention to and helping troops who’re struggling with posttraumatic stress disorder.
"Making sure they have what they need when they return from deployment,"
she said when asked what she was most excited about after winning. "My
best friend is currently deployed in Afghanistan and I want to make sure
when she comes back, she has the resources she needs to heal any
internal mental scars she has."
She wrote earlier this year on Instagram
about that best friend: "I will be honest, I am scared and I miss her
dearly. Coming from an army family I recognize the dangerous sacrifices
soldiers make everyday and the anxiety
that comes with knowing your loved one is overseas ... I thought to
myself, What does it mean to wear this uniform and stand in front of our
flag? I realize it means much more than just patriotism or love for a
single nation. This uniform to me means standing up for LOVE and FREEDOM
in a world that lacks it."
She's Not Afraid to Speak Her Mind About Gender Equality
Barber plans to use her platform and her success to shed light on gender equality in the armed forces.
She said that she and others were not allowed to join "male-dominated
branches" of the military, but that when the military later began
expanding and integrating women into all branches, it recognized "women
are capable of anything."
Barber wants to inspire other women by showing them that gender need not limit them, she said.
Her Favorite Part of the Pageant
The new Miss USA also had fun while bringing substance to the pageant.
After working hard to get to this level, Barber simply said, "Swimsuit
was probably my favorite part; I worked hard on this body."
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