Although she didn’t win the coveted Miss USA title on Sunday, August 5, 2024, Miss Michigan’s Alma Cooper was crowned the winner of the Miss USA pageant, she is still making history as Miss Maryland USA.
When Bailey Anne Kennedy was crowned Miss Maryland USA on June 1, she made history multiple times. Not only was Bailey the first transgender woman to hold the title, she also became the first Asian American and first woman over the age of 28 to win — as well as the first spouse of military service member.
“My goal is to leave a positive impact behind so that I can make it easier for those with similar upbringings and clear up any misconceptions about ‘stay-at-home’ military wives, the LGBTQIA+ community and immigrants of a particular age,” Kennedy, 32, who hails from Montgomery County, tells PEOPLE.
Bailey is originally from Cambodia, and at age 11 she emigrated with her family Silver Spring, Md. She tells PEOPLE that living in a different country was initially a culture shock for her as someone who didn’t know how to read, speak or write English, but that she eventually learned to adapt to her new surroundings.
“That’s important for people to know,” Kennedy says, “that immigrants can dive into the unknown and come out successful in the end.” Additionally, she credits her blue-collar parents for instilling their work ethic and immigrant tenacity into her: “I feel like I’m living the American Dream.”
Last year, the Miss Universe Organization changed their rules, which allowed women over 28 to compete. And in June, as she competed in her first-ever pageant, Kennedy won the Miss Maryland USA title at the age of 31.
The win is a perfect example of her mantra, which is that beauty doesn’t have an expiration date.
When she made the top five in the Miss Maryland USA pageant in June, Kennedy realized the enormity of potentially winning the crown.
“I couldn’t stop crying,” Kennedy recalls when she claimed the title, “because I remember how special it is for the LGBTQIA+ community – especially all of those children who grew up not seeing someone that looks and sounds like them – in this particular desirable position.”
She adds, “I was one of them, and this is why I always strive to make a good contribution to society because I want to make it easier for those who come after me.”
As the spouse of a member of the U.S. Marines, Kennedy has been an avid supporter of the United Service Organization (USO) through her work as a volunteer representative. She aspires to become a USO Global
Ambassador.
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This article was originally published on diversitycomm.net.