A WSU social sciences student from Vancouver is on her way to the 2017 Miss America pageant.
Miss Clark County Alicia Cooper was crowned Miss Washington on Saturday after competing for the title against pageant representatives from other regions in the state.
Cooper, 21, plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in social science and a minor in psychology at WSU.
Her platform for the Miss Washington pageant was Live on Purpose: Defining Your Legacy. For the talent portion of the competition she tap-danced to the song “Let’s Get Loud.”
Cooper said she was driven to participate in the contest because of the opportunity for college scholarships. A variety of scholarships are awarded to contestants at the local, state and national levels.
“From the age of 17, I made the decision to fund my collegiate career on my own,” she wrote in her contest application. “Aside from the scholarship opportunities, I am extremely grateful for the skills that this program has taught me. I have become more passionate in my volunteerism, I am a more confident public speaker, and now I have the skills to land my dream job.”