First woman with Down syndrome competes in Miss U.S.A state pageant

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Monday, November 27, 2017
First woman with Down syndrome competes in Miss U.S.A state pageant
A 22-year-old woman who is believed to be the first person with Down syndrome to compete in a Miss U.S.A state pageant won two awards Sunday.

A 22-year-old woman from Minnesota is quickly earning the title of trailblazer after a pageant took place on Sunday.



KGO-TV reports, Mikayla Holmgren is believed to be the first person with Down syndrome to compete in a Miss U.S.A. state pageant.



Holmgren is a student at Bethel University in Saint Paul where she's a triple-threat athlete.



She also serves as a mentor for other young women and has a passion for dancing.


While she didn't move on to the final round, Holmgren's talent and charisma didn't go unnoticed. She won two awards Sunday night - Spirit of Miss U.S.A and the Director's Award. "I'm really proud of my parents and I'm really proud of myself," Holmgren said.



The audience gave Holmgren a standing ovation, and Kalie Wright was chosen as the next Miss Minnesota U.S.A.


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