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<\/a> Growing up in Okemos, Michigan, Cooper, currently a second lieutenant military intelligence officer, developed a love for learning at a young age thanks to her grandmother and mother.<\/p>\n \u201cIt fueled me to push myself in the classroom and to demand excellence,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like I was fortunate to have teachers who saw my hunger and desire to learn and gave me an environment to foster that.\u201d<\/p>\n A self-described \u2018math nerd,\u2019 she excelled during her first few months of third grade, leading to her advancement to fourth.<\/p>\n Her father, an Army Michigan National Guard armor officer, encouraged her to pursue her academic passion in science, technology, engineering, and math. He told her that STEM-related courses would be challenging but may lead to opportunities.<\/p>\n At the end of fourth grade, she was selected for a STEM summer camp at the University of Michigan State. There, she completed lessons and was mentored by STEM students.<\/p>\n \u201cI was really eager to immerse myself in the hard sciences,\u201d she said. \u201cI knew this was something I wanted to do in the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n She also became interested in pageantry as a kid. A letter for a junior pre-teen contest came in the mail when she was 8. She wanted to give it a shot.<\/p>\n She asked her parents, and they thought it would be a good chance for her to build confidence and learn public speaking. They would let her enter as long she had fun regardless of the outcome. She agreed.<\/p>\n Her mother, who had competed in pageants, coached her. Cooper practiced her routine in the school auditorium where her mother worked. They bought a flower girl dress from a local boutique shop and went to the pageant.<\/p>\n There were close to 100 contestants with some having full teams helping them. Cooper had her mother there to help with her hair and make-up. She took the stage for the pageant, did what she promised, and had fun.<\/p>\n When it came time to announce the winner, they called out her name.<\/p>\n \u201cI just remember being genuinely so shocked that I won,\u201d she said. \u201cI had the biggest smile; you would\u2019ve thought I won Miss USA.\u201d<\/p>\n She was hooked. From that moment on, Alma and her mother would either watch or go to the Miss Michigan pageant every year. It was their thing.<\/p>\n With her father in the military, he was often on deployments, which was tough when she and her sister were young, she said. This put an extra strain on her mother who had to commute approximately 90 minutes to work while taking care of them and going to school for her master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n \u201cI really feel like my mom is superwoman,\u201d she said. \u201cBoth my parents are just pillars of inspiration and work ethic, and I often say that I\u2019m living the American dream. From their childhood experiences to mine, I\u2019ve been fortunate to feel like I\u2019m standing on the shoulders of giants.\u201d<\/p>\n When her father first went overseas, he told Alma to help her mother by looking after her sister, who has special needs. She took the job seriously and learned how to handle her sister\u2019s seizures and provide her with the right medicine.<\/p>\n The two grew incredibly close during that time, she said, and their interactions left a lasting mark.<\/p>\n \u201cJust the joy she finds in everyday things has brought me so much perspective on what really matters in life,\u201d she said. \u201cI [also] think that it\u2019s naturally built me into being a servant leader, knowing my sister\u2019s needs come before mine. I think it\u2019s just brought about a lot of qualities in myself that I still carry today.\u201d<\/p>\n As Cooper got older, she said the deployments got easier to handle. She immersed herself in school, sports and pageants. Then, when she was 14, she entered the Miss Michigan Teen USA pageant.<\/p>\n Her mom coached her again and even bedazzled her dress. She competed with the same mindset of being her best self and having fun. That time she finished first runner-up.<\/p>\n The close call added to her desire to be Miss Michigan one day. The dream however would be put on hold after receiving a letter for another opportunity: United States Military Academy leadership summer camp.<\/p>\n She spoke with her father about the opportunity and decided to go. By the end of the first day of camp in 2018, she was all in.<\/p>\n \u201cI just knew from that moment that I was going to go to West Point,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to be challenged academically; I wanted to be developed; and I wanted to come out better for it–as a young woman, a leader, and a professional. I thought \u2018What better experience could I ask for?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Attending the school would also allow her to follow in her dad\u2019s footsteps of military service.<\/p>\n As a cadet, she pursued her passion for STEM as a mathematical science major. She traveled across the country as part of the school\u2019s leadership, ethics, and diversity in STEM team, and spoke to middle school and high school students about ethical leadership.<\/p>\n She said she embraced the rigorous challenges the school threw her way each year and fought to overcome them.<\/p>\n In her senior year at West Point, she used mathematical models to investigate the relationship between U.S. nutritional health and Army recruiting. She published her research thesis and briefed Army senior leaders on her findings.<\/p>\n She said the topic was important to her because of the nutritional challenges her mother faced growing up as a migrant farm worker. Her mother’s side of the family came to the U.S. from Mexico and dealt with poverty and food insecurity. Cooper’s mother would often tell her stories about her difficult childhood.<\/p>\n \u201cThat sparked my interest in food insecurity health and nutrition in America,\u201d she explained. “I talk a lot about how circumstances never define your destiny. And to me, I’ve seen [my mom’s] work ethic up close and it’s directly impacted me and how I strive in education and in my profession.”<\/p>\n As her cadet career was winding down, her mentor encouraged her to apply for the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship at Stanford University. She was awarded the prestigious scholarship and was acceptance into the school\u2019s two-year master\u2019s degree program to study data science.<\/p>\n Her time at the academy ended with her graduation and then commissioning into the Army as her father, now retired, led her oath of office ceremony exactly 24 years after his own.<\/p>\n After being away from pageantry for a few years, she decided to make another push for her dream of becoming Miss Michigan. She started preparing in January and won a local contest before competing at the state competition in April.<\/p>\n She said she again focused on being the best version of herself and having as much fun as possible. As the competition went on, she tried to remain calm as the contestants went from 10 to five to three and then down to the final two.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt like I\u2019ve had this dream for a really long time,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I always say it\u2019s been delayed but never denied.\u201d<\/p>\n And it wouldn\u2019t be denied that night as they announced her name as Miss Michigan USA 2024. She embraced her family following the win and tried to calm her mother down as the tears ran down her face.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really sweet because she competed in pageants growing up and for her to go through this experience with me made it meaningful for both of us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Her victory at the state pageant meant she would compete on national television in August for the title of Miss USA. The bigger stage meant she got another opportunity to represent more than just herself.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means a lot because all of this came about from a dedication of service that I found at such a young age,\u201d she said. \u201cWatching my sister, seeing my father\u2019s career, hearing my mother\u2019s story and seeing my families work ethic, all of those things culminated in me even being able to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n She pushed hard during the pageant and was once again in the top two. As she stood on stage, she said she tried to take a few moments to think about how grateful she was to make it that far.<\/p>\n A few seconds later, her name was announced as Miss USA, and the crown placed on her head as she stood in disbelief. She became the first active-duty Army officer to win the title.<\/p>\n
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\n Cadet Alma Cooper encourages her fellow cadets during a leadership training at the Unites States Military Academy.
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\n Cadet Alma Cooper helps lead underclassmen at the United States Military Academy.
\n (Photo Credit: Photo courtesy 2nd Lt. Alma Cooper)<\/span>
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\n Cadet Alma Cooper poses for a photo with her family following graduation at the United States Military Academy in May 2023.
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\n 2nd Lt. Alma Cooper is sworn in as an Army officer by her father, retired Maj. Stacey Cooper, on May 27, 2023. It was exactly 24 years to the day that her father commissioned in the Army.
\n (Photo Credit: Photo courtesy 2nd Lt. Alma Cooper)<\/span>
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\n The United States Military Academy class of 2023 celebrates their graduation. 2nd Lt. Alma Cooper finished her USMA career as an honor graduate.
\n (Photo Credit: U.S. Army Photo by John Pellino)<\/span>
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\n Fellow contestants congratulate 2nd Lt. Alma Cooper after winning the Miss USA 2024 pageant Aug. 4 in Los Angeles. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in statistics from Stanford University.
\n (Photo Credit: Photo courtesy 2nd Lt. Alma Cooper)<\/span>
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