26 year-old Deshauna Barber is the newly crowned Miss USA. She’ll go on to represent our great country in the Miss Universe contest. Its a title well earned and deserved! But there are a couple of things, that makes her especially shine as a Royal Woman:
1. Barber is the first-ever military member to win Miss USA
The 26 year-old is a first lieutenant in the United States Army Reserves. She currently works as a Logistics Commander for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Miss USA says she already gave her superiors a heads up that its a possibility she will be going inactive for a couple of years if she won the Miss Universe title. But says she plans to use the pageant’s spotlight and her title to support veteran’s causes and tackle the issue of suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder among military members. (Side note: her father is a retired Army Master Sergeant, so, #bossmoves like father, like daughter?)
2. She is a HBCU graduate. Enough said.
Miss USA is a proud graduate of Virgina State University. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management.
3. Big jobs aren’t always done by the ‘big boys’
Barber intends to make her platform a stand to knock down stereotypes of women in the military. She’s strong-willed in believing that combat roles in the military have no gender roles.
“As a woman in the United States Army, I think, we are just as tough as men,” Barber says when asked about women in combat Sunday night. “As a commander of my unit, I’m powerful, I am dedicated. ”
Who runs the battlefield? Girls.
***BONUS FACT*** Miss USA was also the representative for Virginia in Miss International in 2011.
4. She is “confidently beautiful”
Miss USA’s motto is to be “confidently beautiful”; its a phrase all Royal Women and girls can live up to. Whether its in military get-up serving our country or dolled-up on a pageant stage, Barber says being “confidently beautiful ” means understanding that it’s not always about your appearance. “Serving in the military has taught me that being confidently beautiful is about being able to earn respect from people regardless of what you look like. As a woman in the military, people associate beauty with weakness and they learn very quickly that I’m extremely strong. And although I’m small, I’m powerful and confidently beautiful is being myself and being very happy with who I’ve become.”
5. At the end of the day, she’s just like you.
It isn’t all commands and tiaras with this Royal Woman. According to her Miss USA bio, Barber enjoys dancing, hiking and quality time with her family.
Miss Hawaii, Chelsea Hardin Chelsea and Miss Georgia, Emanii Davis are runner-ups.
Barber has since moved to New York to start her road to Miss Universe. We’re so excited to see this Queen’s journey takes her!
