Miss North Dakota Cara Mund has been crowned the winner of the Miss America 2018 beauty pageant.
Miss America 2017 Savvy Shields crowned Mund as the 97th Miss America at the grand finale event, which was held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 10.
While Mund won the crown defeating 50 contestants, Miss Missouri Jennifer Davis emerged the first runner-up, Miss New Jersey Kaitlyn Schoeffel the second runner-up, Miss District Of Columbia Briana Kinsey the third runner-up and Miss Texas Margana Wood the fourth runner-up.
Mund will receive a $50,000 scholarship as the winner of the crown. But who is Cara Mund? Here are a few interesting things to know about the 97th Miss America.
Cara Mund created history
Mund created history on Sunday by becoming the first woman ever from North Dakota to win the Miss America beauty pageant. Contestants from this state had earlier come close to winning the pageant, but failed to take the crown home.
She has dreamt of winning the Miss America title since she was a kid. "It proves no matter where you come from, if you can dream it, you can do it," she said during the competition.
Her role models
Mund said during the pageant that her mother is her biggest role model.
"She's been diagnosed with cancer three times. Despite the circumstances, she's always told me, you can't control the cards you're dealt, but you can control the hand," she said.
She also admires actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson for her work.
Ivy League student
Mund is a Brown University alum. She has a degree in Business, Entrepreneurship and Organisations.
Mund has been accepted to study law at the University of Notre Dame and will use the $50,000 scholarship she received after becoming Miss America for her studies.
Dancer
Mund is a national dance champion. She mesmerised judges with her jazz performance to Michael Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel in the talent competition. She self-choreographed her jazz performance.
Make A Wish Foundation
Mund supports the Make A Wish Foundation. She has over the past 10 years organised fashion shows to raise money for the foundation.
Till date she has raised over $78,000 with the help of her fashion shows and helped 23 kids in North Dakota.
Competing in beauty pageants since age 6
Mund has participated in several beauty pageants since she was six years old.
She has won Little Miss, Miss Pre-Teen and Miss Junior Teen crowns, and was chosen Miss North Dakota's Outstanding Teen in 2010.
