Miss Illinois USA 2021 is all set to be held on 27th June 2021 where stunning beauties will compete for the state crown and the winner will represent Illinois at Miss USA 2021. While the delegates are preparing for the finale night, there is one contestant who has caught everyone’s attention as she is breaking stereotypes at the pageant.

Emma Loney, who came under the spotlight as she represented Wisconsin at Miss Earth USA 2021, is now representing Southern Illinois at Miss Illinois USA 2021. The stunning beauty is a Law Student at Northern Illinois University College of Law studying criminal law, with the hopes of one day becoming a district attorney, judge, and on the Supreme Court. She has a bachelors degree from Edgewood College in both criminal justice and psychology.

A body positive advocate, Emma was the first plus size woman to place in a major national American pageant. Emma has been competing in pageant since high school, mostly in smaller ones like National American Miss. Even though Emma breaks conventional standards, she safely says that she has never had an ugly experience in pageantry.

On her participation in Miss Illinois USA 2021, Emma quoted, “Representing Southern Illinois for the Miss Illinois USA pageant, I hope to bring a plus-size body to the Miss USA stage and show that inclusion is so important and we are in dire need of this representation on this stage.”

As for her advocacy, Emma’s mission is to empower others to embrace who they are and promote body positivity. It was when her sister was diagnosed and then hospitalized for a severe eating disorder her freshman year of college, Emma realized that society’s standards of beauty affect everyone, everywhere.

“Pageantry is an industry that has always been, to me, a platform to empower women, encourage change, and promote how well-rounded women are. But, in 2021, we continue to see the same type of women competing and winning prestigious titles, furthering the dialog and expectation that women can only look and feel beautiful if they fit that mold. I saw, and have experienced, just how damaging that is, and want to show that you can be healthy and beautiful as a plus sized woman”, she explained.

Emma surely has the ability to be a strong contender for the state crown and if she wins the Miss Illinois USA 2021 crown, she could be one of the strongest contenders for Miss USA 2021 this year. She is the epitome of sincerity and being real in the world which has just started to appreciate unconventional forms of beauty.