The 70th edition of Miss USA pageant, i.e., Miss USA2021 is all set to be held on 29th November 2021 at the Paradise Cove Theater of River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma where Asya Danielle Branch of Mississippi will crown her successor at the end of the event finale.
Delegates from the 50 states and District of Columbia have been selected in state pageants which began in September 2020. While this year’s batch has raised the bar for the national pageant, a few divas have stood out as potential delegates.
So, without any further ado, here are our Top 15 Hot Picks for Miss USA 2021, in no particular order–
Miss Kentucky USA 2021 Elle Smith
Smith is a graduate from the University of Kentucky’s School of Journalism who joined WHAS11 News in October and covers stories throughout southern Indiana. She describes herself as bold, powerful and eloquent. A fitness enthusiast, Elle works out at the gym and makes sure to keep herself active and ready to take on the day. She is one of the strongest candidates this year for the title of Miss USA 2021.
Miss Nebraska USA 2021 Erika Etzelmiller
Nebraska’s Erika is a 23 years-old Dental student at UNMC College of Dentistry ’24. She is not new to the pageant world, previously she won the title of Miss Nebraska Teen USA 2016. The young beauty seems to be an inspiring soul for other women in the town and is going to make a mark in Miss USA 2021 finale. She is quite hardworking and dedicated for attaining her goals and such a trait of hers can lead her onto the path of success.
Miss Oklahoma USA 2021 Albreuna Gonzaque
Alberuna is 27-years-old and graduated with a degree in Mass Communication and media studies from the University of Central Oklahoma and worked as a social media coordinator at Remington Park Racetrack Casino. Albreuna also owns' ‘Just Veg Kitchen’, which is based in Oklahoma City.
She uses her social media to make an impact on society by normalizing and encouraging young people to be comfortable in their bodies. In her journey towards the crown, the diva feels blessed and grateful for all the opportunities that came her way and helped her to be strong, confident, and positive about herself and the work she was doing. Albreuna is dedicated, determined, and is focused on her goals in life, and is confident that she will perform her best at Miss USA 2021.
Miss Illinois USA 2021 Sydni Dion Bennett
Hailing from Algonquin, Sydni is 20-years-old and stands 170 cm tall. She attended the Chicago Academy for the Arts and is a ballet instructor at Perfection Dance Artistry and Company dance studio. She is also a member of the Life Changers International Church.
Sydni is not new to the world of beauty pageants as she was adjudged as the second runner-up in Miss Illinois Teen USA 2017. She was the first African-American girl to be crowned Miss Illinois Teen USA 2018 and represented Illinois at Miss Teen USA 2018 where she was adjudged as the third runner-up. She is experienced and takes pride in representing her country internationally in every way. She aspires to have a positive impact on the upcoming generation and uses her knowledge, platforms, and sources to make things happen.
Miss Connecticut USA 2021 Amanda Torchia
Hailing from Middlebury, Amanda is 25-years-old and is of Afghan and Italian descent. She is the founder of the youth program called Educate to Create and is extremely passionate about the things she has taken up in her life. For Amanda, winning the title is a second thing, but being able to set specific goals and find the courage and power within yourself to accomplish those goals is what matters to her.
She has always encouraged young women and girls to go for it if they want to be a part of a beauty pageant. She believes that if you believe in yourself, you are capable of such amazing things. She sees pageantry as a way to find causes near and dear to hearts and use the titles to create positive change for these causes.
Miss Florida USA 2021 Ashley Cariño
Ashley is 26-years-old. She is a psychosocial rehabilitator, model, and beauty queen who is of Puerto Rican descent. She studied aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, and works as a psychosocial rehabilitator at Insight Behavioural Health Specialists.
Ashley is a strong, confident, and beautiful woman with a positive mindset to win the crown and represent the USA at Miss Universe 2021. She believes that beauty pageants have opened various opportunities for women to work on themselves along with working for society, and she is honored to be a part of this journey
Miss Kansas USA 2021 Gracie Hunt
Gracie is 22-years-old and is a certified nutritionist and is completing her training certification. She works in marketing and development for the Chiefs, including launching Chiefs Fit two state-of-the-art fitness centers opening in Kansas City.Gracie is passionate about volunteering and was chosen to be a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics.
The diva is the daughter of Tavia Shackles who was Miss Kansas USA 1993 and was adjudged as the second runner-up at Miss USA 1993. Gracie stated that pageantry challenges and grows everyone who is a part of that pageant. Gracie was diagnosed with celiac disease when she was young and that diagnosis has made her very health conscious. She becomes committed to health and fitness and will use the platform to spread awareness and educate people about how important it is to stay healthy and practice a healthy lifestyle is.
Miss Michigan 2021 Taylor Mackenzie Dickens Hale
Taylor works as a personal stylist and deems it important to tell stories through clothing. A look should have a meaning behind it, Taylor believes. She has been working for three years strenuously to have reached here. She looks forward to make her state proud.
She interned with ‘Essence’, magazine in year 2016 and used to study at The George Washington University. She hails from Detroit, the ‘motor city’ of the state. Taylor is an only child and is quite grateful for the chosen family that friends are. She has learned to trust in herself fully through her experience in the world of pageantry.
Miss Missouri 2021 USA Joye Forrest
After completing her studies from California Institute of the Arts, she now works as a professional dance teacher. A published author of the book ‘Dance With Joye’, the beauty queen is of the opinion that we should turn our struggles into our strengths.
Joye is 25 years of age and grew up in Missouri and is proud to be representing the incredible place that has shaped her into the woman she is today. The queen ran an online campaign, ‘Hit the Streets’, to help provide support to underprivileged youth in the country.
Miss South Carolina USA 2021 Marley D’lynn Stokes
Marley is a professional makeup artist and Phlebotomist who hails from Lexington, South Carolina. She finished her studies from Midlands Technical College and learnt makeup from MakeUp Forever Academy.
The queen is not new to the world of pageantry, previously she was crowned as Miss South Carolina Teen USA in 2016. Marley arrived in Tulsa for the pageant two days ago and is excited and in sheer awe of the grandeur of the event. She donated crayons to every county of South Carolina to help spread awareness about learning disabilities. Marley was herself diagnosed with learning disabilities and had trouble expressing herself through reading and writing.
Miss Oregon USA 2021 Allison Cook
Allison Cook is a classically trained violinist and a former basketball and volleyball referee. She was the youngest person to have officiated the OSAA 2A State Basketball Championship Tournament in Pendleton, OR.
She is a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences and holds Minors in Business and Medical Sociology from the Oregon Institute of Technology. Not new to the world of pageantry, Allison was previously involved in the Miss America Organization (Miss Oregon 2013) and the International Junior Miss Program (IJM Miss Oregon 2018). The beauty queen loves country music and sunflowers and is the caretaker of 15 plants.
Miss Tennessee USA 2021 Elizabeth Graham Pistole
Elizabeth Graham Pistole is an entrepreneur who founded, ‘The Dancing Divas & Dudes’, a not-for-profit organization that raises awareness about disabilities through dance. She started this organization at a young age of 14 and it’s been seven long years of nothing but pure hard work. The organization has grown over by 600%, having raised funds of over $40,000, expanding to different states.
“It would have been much easier to quit than to overcome obstacles/failures, but those are the experiences that build character and shape the future. If you want to enact change, STOP sitting around and start working. I’m not saying it will be easy or that it will not come with countless obstacles, but it will impact the lives of those around you for the better. You are not too young or inexperienced to make a difference. Start today so that you can be a part of creating a better tomorrow,” Elizabeth inspired young leaders on her social media.
Miss Colorado USA 2021 Olivia Lorenzo
Olivia is a student of Product Development and Marketing at Colorado State University. The diva has ambitions of becoming a fashion creative director and advocates for environmental sustainability. She wants to work with brands and designers who share her values and principles.
The queen enjoys hiking, snowboarding, yoga, paddleboarding and spending her time on the beach. She is also involved with the organization Make a Wish, which helps grant wishes to sick children, wanting to spread compassion.
Miss Nevada USA 2021 Kataluna Enriquez
Hailing from Silver State, Kataluna is 27-years-old and is of Filipino-American descent. She is the first transwoman to compete in Miss USA 2021. She is a fashion designer and has her fashion brand, ‘Kataluna Kouture’ and she designed her own outfits for Miss Nevada USA 2021 along with a pride-inspired evening gown which she wore during the finale of state pageant.
Kataluna studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, California, and started modelling in 2012. She represented California at Transnation Queen USA 2016, which she won at the Theatre of the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. She also represented the United States at Miss International Queen 2018 in Pattaya City, Thailand, and was placed in the Top 12 at the end of the event's finale.
Miss Mississippi USA 2021 Bailey Mae Anderson
Bailey is 22-year-old and is a special care new born nurse. It was her mom’s encouragement, along with the support of her family and community, that gave her the confidence to pursue her childhood dream.
With an unwavering faith in God and herself, diva flew to Tulsa two days ago. “I have put my entire heart and soul into this year, and no matter what this week holds I know who holds the future. For He has a plan for my life far beyond my own comprehension,” she wrote on her social media.