Kentucky journalist Elle Smith, 23, was named the winner of the Miss USA 2021 pageant on Monday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Now Smith, titled Miss Kentucky USA in May, is expected to represent the United States at the Miss Universe 2021 pageant, which will be held on December 12 in Eilat, southern Israel. The organizers earlier assured that the competition would take place despite the rapid spread of the Omicron strain of Covid-19 around the world.
Smith graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and a minor in political science. Currently, she works as a reporter for the local TV channel WHAS11, broadcasting in Louisville, Kentucky.
During her studies, Smith was vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).