On Monday, the female equivalent of the Super Bowl will play out in Sao Paulo, Brazil. While beauty pageants don’t enjoy the respect in this country that athletics do, even the staunchest anti-fan can appreciate a competitor at the top of her game. We all cheer when there is the potential for an American champion to take an international competition, and this year, we’ve got one.
Her name is Alyssa Campanella. She’s a gorgeous, 21 year-old red head with green eyes, and she’s the reigning Miss USA. AT 9 p.m. Eastern time she will compete against some of the most beautiful, poised and accomplished women in the world in The Miss Universe Pageant.
A self proclaimed “history geek,” Alyssa has the brains to go with the beauty. She studies history for fun, gushing, “I’m obsessed with the Stuart and Tutor era,” according to the Huffington Post. But she also enjoys many of the same activities as most young adults, like Tweeting and playing Angry Birds on her iPad. Alyssa is a “Star Wars” fan, who dreams of meeting “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro. “I love to bake cakes, and he’s an Italian, and he acts like I do in the kitchen,” she quips.
Alyssa’s something of a diplomat. When asked during the Miss USA pageant if she thought marijuana should be legalized, she gave a thoughtful response. “I understand that medical marijuana is very important to help those who need it,” she answered, “I’m not sure if it should be legalized. I mean, it’s abused today, unfortunately, so that the only reason why I would kind of be a little bit against it, but medically, it’s OK.” At the time she gave this response, Alyssa was still Miss California.
Alyssa is considered one of the frontrunners, but faces serious competition from Miss Panama, Sheldry Saez, Miss Albania, Xhesika Berberi, and Miss Ukraine, Olesya Stefanko, all brunettes. Alyssa’s ginger locks distinguish her from the crowd.
The last time Miss USA won the Miss Universe pageant was in 1997. Brooke Lee , former Miss Hawaii, became the seventh American Miss Universe in Miami Beach, FL. To date the U.S. has the most Miss Universe winners, but is closely followed by Venezuela with six. Latinas dominate this tableau of loveliness, with 22 winners who hail from Latin American and Caribbean countries, including the current Miss Universe, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico.
It’s been 13 years since Brooke Lee held the title, and the timing feels right for America. Cafemom’s Jacqueline Burt said it best, “this year, this week, the USA deserves a bouquet of flowers and a tiara.” I couldn’t agree more.