Miss Universe USA Noelia Voigt: her race to the crown in photos

In September 2023, Noelia Voigt was voted as the US representative for the 2023 Miss Universe pageant. Who is she, and why does she have a good shot at the crown this year?

This special woman was born on November 1, 1999, in Sarasota, Florida. She's the daughter of an American father, the professional baseball player Jack David Voigt, and a Venezuelan mother, Jackeline Coromoto Briceño.

Picture: @noeliavoigt / Instagram

She is the first Venezuelan-American who has won the Miss USA pageant. As she puts it, Voigt wants to represent all ethnicities of the country. "A Miss USA needs to be able to represent every community no matter their background, their race, their ethnicity."

Photo: @noeliavoigt / Instagram

"As a bilingual Venezuelan-American woman, I plan to connect with that community of people, because the United States of America is a diverse country."
The beauty queen emphasized that fact when wearing her national costume at the Miss Universe pageant on November 16, 2023.

Voigt initially reached the finals of Miss Alabama twice in a row and then moved to Salt Lake City to compete for the title of Miss Utah. It was with this title that she entered the Miss USA competition.

Picture: @noeliavoigt/ Instagram

"I am honored to be the first Venezuelan-American woman to hold the title of Miss Utah USA, and I am truly looking forward to breaking barriers and bridging the gap between communities by being able to speak Spanish and connect with the large Hispanic population in Utah," she commented on her Instagram account.

Noelia also has the full support of her boyfriend, Jack Hendrix, here in the photo next to her.

Image: @noeliavoigt/ Instagram

"I usually have a bit of nerves before an interview, but right now, I feel completely at peace. I can’t wait to get into that room, connect with the judges, and show them 100% of who Noelia is!" she shared on her Instagram days before the contest.

Image: @noeliavoigt / Instagram

In addition to being a certified skin care therapist and a model, Voigt is also an interior designer and she wrote a children's book: 'Maddie the Brave.'

Photo: @noeliavoigt / Instagram

'Maddie the BRAVE' is an anti-bullying book that encourages children to be kind, not only to others but also to themselves. In a simple and straightforward way, she makes an acronym of the word B.R.A.V.E. which means "Building Respect And Values for Everyone."

Photo: @noeliavoigt / Instagram

When asked what her contribution to the organization would be, Noelia did not hesitate in her answer: "I believe the ability to connect with people is an incredibly important asset that a Miss USA should have."

Photo: @noeliavoigt / Instagram

Voigt is also one of the facilitators of the 'One Love Foundation,' an organization committed to helping young people recognize the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships. The foundation has educated more than 1,000 students about abuse in relationships, according to fiercebymitu.

Photo: @noeliavoigt / Instagram

"I spread my message to anyone who will listen," Voigt says on Instagram. "I had the best time today hosting a One Love Workshop with some of the Olympus High School cheer team educating them on the signs of a healthy and unhealthy relationship. They are ready to take on young adulthood and protect themselves and their loved ones!"

Picture: @noeliavoigt / Instagram

The Miss USA 2022 coronation was tainted by a series of accusations against the winner, R'Bonney Gabriel, and her alleged enablers. 

Image: @rbonneynola / Instagram

Miss DC told The Washington Post that "the girls, including myself, felt disrespected because R'Bonney was very close to the staff members and directors of the pageant, and they were blatant about that. She also had personal ties with a judge who scored the costume competition..."

Image: @missusa / Instagram

At the center of the controversy were the owners of the pageant. Actress Crystle Stewart became the national director of Miss USA in 2020. As the Washington Post claimed, contestants were suspicious that she gave preferential treatment to Gabriel. She was later suspended by the Miss Universe organization.

Whatever happened in the offices of Miss USA, R'Bonney Gabriel went on to the Miss Universe pageant in New Orleans and even won the crown that year! So the stakes are high for the USA in the upcoming global pageant.

Noelia Voigt could be a strong candidate because her roots lie in a country known for its skills and successes in beauty pageants. Venezuela has won six Miss World competitions, sharing first place with India, and six Miss Universe titles.

Yet, it is the United States that occupies the first place in Miss Universe, having presented nine winners over the course of its history. Could a Latina beauty queen provide the tenth title?

A salient fact about Venezuela's pageant history is that it holds the Guinness World Record of being the only country with back-to-back Miss Universe winners. In 2009, the reigning Miss Universe, Dayana Mendoza from Venezuela, handed the crown to the next winner, fellow Venezuelan Stefanía Fernandez. It caused a stir around the world.

Will Miss USA Noelia Voigt manage to remove the controversial stain from the recent past of Miss USA and follow R'Bonney Gabriel in winning the Miss Universe crown? Could she really be the one matching the 'back-to-back' record achieved by Venezuela in 2009?

Picture: still from Miss USA 2023 video, uploaded by @noeliavoigt/ Instagram