WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Miss North Dakota, Cara Mund, has been crowned Miss America 2018.
The 23-year old multi-talented Ivy League Honors Graduate is the first Miss America from North Dakota.
She beat beauties who represented all 50 states and the District of Columbia to claim the highly coveted crown in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall Sunday night.
The first runner-up in the competition was Miss Missouri, Jennifer Davis, who earned a $25,000 scholarship. Miss New Jersey, Kaitlyn Schoeffel, is the second runner-up. She received a $20,000 scholarship.
At the age of 14, Cara founded North Dakota's Annual Make-A-Wish Fashion Show. For 10 years, Cara has brightened 23 Wish Kids' lives, became a 'Certified Wish Granter,' and raised more than $78,500 for Make-A-Wish. In 2011, President Barack Obama recognized her charitable efforts.
The Miss America 2018 is headed to law school.
During the talent portion of the competition earlier in the evening, the national dance champion impressed the judges with a jazz routine to Michael Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel.
During the question and answer session, Cara said it was a 'bad decision' by President Donald Trump to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord.
A relative of Victoria Claflin Woodhull, the first woman to run for U.S. President, Cara dreams of becoming the first female Governor of North Dakota.
Cara now begins a journey that will take her to every corner of the nation and around the world during her year of service as Miss America 2018. She will embark on her national speaking tour about her platform, A Make-A-Wish Passion with Fashion, and act as the official National Goodwill Ambassador for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
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