On Sunday evening, Deshauna Barber was crowned Miss USA 2016. If you're thinking she's just another stereotypical beauty queen, think again. Miss District of Columbia joined the military at the age of 17, and she's proving that you should never place limits on what you can accomplish. Here are three reasons she's a woman to watch.
Her bio on the Miss USA's website points out that she is currently serving as a logistics commander for the 988th Quartermaster Detachment Unit at Fort Meade, Maryland. And Army Reserve officer is just one of her impressive endeavors. She's also an IT analyst for the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“I consider it to be a family tradition,” Barber explained during a pre-recorded interview. “It’s something that runs through our veins—patriotism and service for this country.” Barber's father is a retired military officer. So, her platform also stays true to her roots with a focus on PTSD treatment and suicide prevention in the Armed Forces.
All of her diverse experiences helped her to nail the question and answer portion of the competition. Judge Joe Zee, who is a fashion stylist, asked the 26-year-old, “The Pentagon recently made the decision to open up all combat jobs to women. Now, some have questioned whether this has put political correctness over our military’s ability to perform at the highest level. What are your thoughts?”
Barber's eloquent response blew the judges away, and many people on Twitter predicted she would be the winner after hearing her brilliant response. “As a woman in the United States Army, I think it was an amazing job by our government to allow women to integrate to every branch of the military," Barber explained. "We are just as tough as men. As a commander of my unit, I am powerful. I am dedicated. And it is important that we recognize that gender does not limit us in the United States Army.” The crowd couldn't control the cheers as she wrapped up her answer.
Barber is a walking example that you can do anything you put your mind to and that you should never allow anyone to limit your abilities with labels. “I’m able to say that no one pageant girl does the same thing or has the same background, and I’m also saying that no one soldier has the same background and does the same thing,” Barber said in another interview during the televised event. “We can be feminine, we can be in beauty contests, we can be models. So there’s stereotypes on both sides that I feel like I’m breaking by even being here and being able to compete for Miss USA.”
Scroll down to see some of her showstopping moments from last night.
Related: Ashley Graham Takes A Major Stand For Body Diversity During The Miss USA Swimsuit Competition
Photo Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty
