Mikayla Holmgren

Mikayla Holmgren, a young woman from Minnesota, has made history as the first woman with down syndrome to ever compete in the Miss Minnesota USA Pageant. Not only did the 22-year old bravely went on the stage and participated in every round of the pageant, she won two awards during the competition.

Her look is something that was never before seen on the stage of Miss USA Pageant, but what has won over the hearts of the judges and the crowd was her striking confidence and courage; in the Miss USA Pageant, personality is just as important as physical appearance. Born with down syndrome, Mikayla wanted to have a chance to live a normal life and achieve her dreams, and she did.