Sarah Rose Summers was named Miss USA 2018 on Monday, May 21. With her victory, Sarah Rose Summers became the first woman from Nebraska to win the title. Before becoming Miss USA 2018, Sarah Rose Summers was also Miss Nebraska in 2018 and Miss Nebraska Teen USA in 2012. As a result of her victory, the 23-year-old beauty pageant titleholder will go onto represent the United States of America at Miss Universe 2018.
She succeeded 2017 winner Kára McCullough, who was previously Miss District of Columbia.
Sarah Rose Summers faced stiff competition in the 2018 Miss USA content. The Top 10 finalists in 2018 were Miss Florida Génesis Dávila, Miss Nebraska Sarah Rose Summers, Miss Nevada Carolina Urrea, Miss North Carolina Caelynn Miller-Keyes, Miss South Dakota Madison Nipe, Miss California Kelley Johnson, Miss Georgia Marianny Egurrola, Miss Maine Marina Gray, Miss New Jersey Alexa Noone, and Miss Tennessee Alexandra Harper. Summers defeated first runner-up Miss North Carolina Caelynn Miller-Keyes.
via Time:
Summers said she would encourage people to “speak your voice” with her sign. Urrea vowed to work to eliminate homelessness. Miller-Keyes spoke about sexual assault prevention, saying she would march for “your body, your rights.”
During her answer, Summers also drew one of the biggest cheers of the evening when she called on people to “listen to each other,” saying that was something people in the U.S. needed to do.
The evening also touched on one of the year’s biggest themes — the #MeToo movement that has focused attention on sexual harassment and sexual assault. In a video montage, the contestants talked about particular #MeToo moments they had experienced and women’s empowerment.
Summers was born on November 4, 1994, in Omaha, Nebraska, and grew up in Papillion in the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area. She graduated from Papillion-La Vista South High School before earning two degrees cum laude from Texas Christian University in child development and strategic communication, with a minor in business. While in college, she became a sister of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Prior to becoming Miss USA, Summers worked as a certified child life specialis.