A 23-year-old flight attendant and print model became the first African-American woman to win the Miss Missouri USA pageant, as she captured the 2017 crown this past weekend in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles.
Bayleigh Dayton, a Baylor University graduate who attended high school in Kansas City, Missouri, first entered the pageant in 2013. After finishing in the top 16, she re-entered the contest last year and finished as the first runner-up. She also was awarded Miss Congeniality for 2016.
"Last year when I entered, I knew that my road to pageantry wasn't finished," Dayton told the Kansas City Star. "When I made top five last year I knew that I could do this. The insecurities weren't there. It was easier for me to focus this year."
By winning, Dayton advances to the Miss USA Pageant next year. If she wins Miss USA, she would advance to Miss Universe Pageant.
“When they called my name I was freaking out,” she said. “I had to calm myself down.”
Dayton plans to make an impact with her newfound status.
“It’s awesome to be able to put a face with a title,” she said. “I’m obviously the first African-American titleholder in this position. Now girls have someone to look up to and can have an actual role model.”
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