View this post on Instagram
It’s been less than 24 hours since Nia Imani Franklin was crowned Miss America 2019. Dubbed “Miss America 2.0,” Franklin is the first winner since the end of the swimsuit era. Although the 24-year-old competed as Miss New York, she also has North Carolina roots.
The Winston-Salem native earned her undergraduate degree in vocal performance at Eastern Carolina University followed by a master’s degree in music composition from University of North Carolina’s School of the Arts.
Here are three more things to know about Franklin:
She’s an arts advocate
Her social impact initiative for the scholarship pageant is advocating for the arts. According to her bio on the Miss America pageant website, Franklin said that she’s empowered to “champion for all children to have access to quality art education.”
She wrote her first song at 5 years old
In her post-pageant press conference, Franklin received a round of applause after singing the sweet lyrics of her first song.
She donated stem cells to her dad
Franklin’s father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer during her freshman year in college, according to her alma mater. After two relapses, doctors said that a stem cell transplant was the best chance to save his life. Franklin was the best match to donate to her father. In her Instagram caption recalling the experience, she noted, “My dad received his stem cell transplant on May 1, 2013, and he is alive and thriving, all to the glory of God and his awesome medical team at Duke Medical!”
View this post on Instagram
Franklin receives a $50,000 scholarship as the new Miss America and will spend a year advocating her platform as the face of the organization.
