Miss USA Kára McCullough: "Yes, I Would Say I'm a Feminist"
The new Miss USA responds to the ~controversy~ surounding her Q&A round moment and also explains what her glitzy big crown feels like.
May 16, 2017
Kára McCullough, Miss District of Columbia, was crowned Miss USA 2017
during the sparkly pageant Sunday night in Las Vegas. And while it
would be wholly reasonable for her to spend this next week in bed (or at
least on a couch in sweatpants, maybe sequinned sweatpants) relaxing
and eating carbs, in the day and a half since her victory, she's upped
and moved to New York City and begun an already-intense round of media
appearances. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, after all, even if
Kára says that crown is actually super light.
As
her first in-depth interview, Kára spoke with Cosmopolitan.com on
Tuesday morning. Read on for her take on the controversy surrounding her
Q&A moments, both health care and "equalism," as well as what she's
most looking forward to now she's in NYC. OK, it's street food, but
guess what kind?!
So, you’re coming off just a kind of busy weekend, you know? How are you feeling this morning?!
I'm well. I feel well-rested! I looked in the mirror this morning, and I was like, Whoa, I am Miss USA. And
it just hit me [for the first time] like a ton of bricks. This entire
experience has been so life-changing. And it’s just begun! I'm just so
excited. I know there'll be tiring days coming up, but I'm really
energized. I think the two bags of green tea that went in my cup this
morning are really helping.
What does the crown feel like?
Oh
my goodness. It feels like a halo. If I could really explain it, it’s
like that halo Snapchat filter; just imagine that. It’s so light, and I
just can’t even believe that I’ve been honored and graced with this
opportunity to wear it.
During the live broadcast, was there a moment when you went from being “confidently beautiful” to, say, confident you could win?
Well,
I showed up to win! But really, I think [that moment] came when they
called me for top three. I was the first one [called]. I remember
standing on the little box that they had us positioned on, and I just
lifted my head and asked God for guidance, and just let him know I was
extremely thankful. I think that was like my turning point, like OK, Kára, you could really have this in the bag. You could take this all the way back to D.C.
Last year’s Miss USA, Deshauna Barber, was also Miss District of Columbia. Was that something that ever psyched you out or made you second-guess your chances?
Absolutely. There were like a lot of naysayers in
my ear, saying, "Ah, bad luck, states don't win back-to-back." But I had
to let them know Drake put that out there in the universe for us and
[D.C.] came back strong. Deshauna is just such a phenomenal person and
she really broke so many pageant stereotypes. I'm just so thankful to
have her as a sister, a friend, and a mentor — and her crowing me is by
far one of the most honorable achievements that I've had.
In many respects, I think you’re also breaking some of those “pageant stereotypes” — your career in nuclear sciences, for example. How did you get into that line of work?
I
have a degree in chemistry [with a concentration] in radiochemistry
from South Carolina State University, and I started my career at the
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2013. My day-to-day job
now involves nuclear licensing and regulations; the agency focuses on
emergency preparedness for nuclear energy domestically.
I can't even begin to tell you how much [my
colleagues] have supported me. Initially I kept it a secret that I ran
for Miss D.C. USA, but someone shared it on Facebook, and then the word
got out, and there’s been a real outpouring [of love]. Everyone has been
great.
Will promoting the sciences be part of your Miss USA platform?
Absolutely.
[I run] a self-funded program called Science Exploration for Kids,
which encourages students to find joy in the STEM subjects, as well as a
career path. I run after-school programs and tutoring sessions and
symposiums. It’s about any or all of the sciences, although I am biased;
I love to see people major in chemistry — because the numbers [in that
field] are so low. I was actually the only person in my class to
graduate with a degree in radiochemistry, and so every summer, I had a
phenomenal internship and I got paid! That's why I always try to
encourage students to find joy in science, because the opportunities are
endless. And I love getting to see children having fun and enjoying
their projects, and I just hope to expand their imagination through
science.
Do you have a go-to experiment to pique kids’ interest from the get-go?
My
favorite one I call an "explosion of colors.” It’s about how soap
reacts with, like, fatty acids, and what I do is take a plate, fill the
plate up with milk, and then put food coloring— your favorite colors, of
course— in the middle of the plate. Then I’ll take a Q-tip with some
soaps [on it] and put it right smack down in the middle of the plate
amid the food coloring, and you'll see how the soap interacts with the
milk. Basically, [the chemical reaction happening] makes the colors just
spiral everywhere.
I have to confess I hated science in school but I do like pretty colors.
I'm going to make you love it. You'll come over and we're going to do some projects together.
What’s been the response from your friends and family since the big win?
I
literally have 500 text messages on my phone right now. It might have
gone up to 600 actually — all my family and friends were saying, "Kára
you’ve always been someone who is chasing after their dreams and
actually executing them," and they're like, "You're encouraging people
in so many ways that you don't even see." Hearing comments like that is
extremely gratifying, because you often don't realize the [impact] that
you have on other people. I’m just on cloud nine. I'm so thankful for
all the support.
Somewhat on the flip side though, there’s been some controversy surrounding answers in the Q&A round and the “final word” segment. Is that something you’re aware of?
You know, social media [functions] at a hyperactive
rate, and you can get messages and feedback instantly. I think [the
response] is good because it shows that, for one, I’m starting a
dialogue with important issues around our nation, right? And two, it’s
amazing that people are sharing their opinions. There are going to be
pros and cons, and there’s going to be two sides [to every argument],
and I’m just thankful that at least there is some conversation.
Totally. I think, in 30 or 45 seconds, it can be really difficult to unpack your opinion on a hot-button issue. Is there anything you’d like to clarify, or expand on, regarding your answers about health care as a privilege, or your stance on feminism vs. “equalism”?
As a scientist, first of all, we’re very
long-winded. If it were up to me that would have been a four-hour long
discussion [about health care]. But I own what I say, and I’m thankful
for the opportunity to speak on something so important [even for] 30
seconds. But thank you, if I have the opportunity just to clarify, I
would definitely love to let people know that, yes I am privileged
to have health insurance — it’s a privilege for me, and I’m thankful
for that. But I also do believe health insurance is a right for
everyone.
And I’m all about women’s rights. Yes,
I would have to say I am a feminist. But, when I look at the term
"equalism," [I used it] because I’ve seen firsthand in the workplace
that we need those equal opportunities when it comes to leadership. And
you know, the word [feminism] can carry different connotations
[depending on what] generation you come from, or what background, but I
don’t want anyone to think I’m not an active [supporter of] women’s
rights. If anyone wants to challenge me on that, please call me. There
are multitudes of women working at the Nuclear Regulatory commission,
for example, making so many strides in leadership. And I support them
100 percent. Go to my social media pages and you’ll see I give
shout-outs to so many of my colleagues, because I look up to them. They
really embody what a hard-working woman is, someone who doesn’t take no
for an answer, who’s very unapologetic about her leadership and her
abilities.
Have you ever experienced discrimination in the workplace, or while competing in pageants? For many people, the stereotypes of pageants being old-fashioned and, say, a bitchy competitive environment remain.
Well, I believe
that I hold my own and I know if I need to speak up for myself, I will
do that. If I feel as if something isn’t equal, then I will speak out on
my own behalf.
[With pageants], there are those
old stereotypes, but what people have to understand, and I know many
people do know, is with time comes change. I know that the paradigm has
changed — look at this year’s Miss USA, every woman on that stage is
accomplished, and when I say accomplished, oh my goodness. [First
runner-up] Miss New Jersey is a phenomenal woman! She was actually a
friend prior to the competition and just standing up there with her [at
the end], I think either of us would have been satisfied [with either
outcome].
So when do you start preparing for Miss Universe — you’ve just moved to New York also, right? So much going on!
Yes,
honestly [I love] just seeing the bodegas everywhere! I love a good
cheesesteak — I know that’s [supposed to be] a Philly thing, but New
York just seems to have it going on. And I think D.C. is a little bit
slower [of a city], so the best part about New York for me is that it
just never sleeps. I've wanted to live here for a couple years now so
I’ve hit the ground running. I've seen clips [from Miss USA] online but I
would love to watch the whole show back to see where I can improve. I
don’t think there’s going a moment of down time and I’m excited. If
you’re not busy, what are you really getting done?
OK, this is too good: Are we going to see a cheesesteak-themed national costume at Miss Universe, then?! Please say yes.
I’ll be in a gyro-themed suit, with chopped cheese on the side. [Laughs.] That might not actually be a bad idea. I’ll make sure to tag you in the Instagram credits.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/a9661158/miss-usa-interview-kara-mccullough-healthcare-feminism-pageants/
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário