Who Is Cheslie Kryst? New Details On The New Miss USA 2019
She's the oldest woman to win the title.
getty Even if you aren’t a fan of beauty pageants, you have to admit that these young women work extremely hard to show the world how smart, funny, and innovative they are. Because on the big stage, like Miss USA and Miss Universe, only having beauty won’t get you the crown.
But the newly-crowned Miss USA has more than just looks under her belt. She’s educated, intelligent, and is truly making a difference in the world. And the all-female Miss USA selection committee agreed she deserved the crown.
The committee, which included Reno mayor Hillary Schieve and Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, just to name a few, judged the contestants based on their future ambitions, and what they dream of professionally and personally.
So, yes, we have a new winner, but who is Cheslie Kryst? She’s more than just a holder of the crown; in fact, she’s quite a role model for young girls to look up to.
1. She’s from North Carolina.
The 28-year-old is from Charlotte, NC, and attended high school there.
2. She has multiple degrees.
After graduation, she moved to South Carolina and attended the University of South Carolina, eventually graduating from the Darla Moore School of Business with a dual degree in marketing and human resource management. In college, she was part of the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society, mock trial, and competed on the women’s track and field team.
After graduating from USC, she received her Master’s and Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest University School of Law in North Carolina. She was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar.
She’s also a former Division I athlete! While at USC, she set a record for the triple jump, earning a place in the school’s top 10 record book. She also competed in heptathlon and long jump.
3. She’s a lawyer.
After earning her MBA and law degree, she worked at the Proyner Spruill Law Firm as an associate, with a concentration in complex civil litigation. According to the firm’s website, Kryst is responsible to “represent clients in federal and state cases relating to a wide range of business disputes... [and ] represent municipalities in local government matters, including extensive and complex reviews of policies and procedures for programs funded by grants for federal government.”
Kryst provides free legal work for prisoners who were unjustly sentenced, and helps them seek reduced punishments.
4. It’s not her first title.
Kryst is considered a late-comer and is the oldest woman to ever win the Miss USA crown. She entered pageantry only two years ago, in 2017, and competed in Miss North Carolina USA 2017, winning fourth runner-up. The following year, she placed in the top ten, and the year after, she won the title. She represented North Carolina in the recent Miss USA competition, becoming the third woman from her home state to win the title!
Due to her win as Miss USA, she will now represent the United States in the Miss Universe 2019 competition.
5. But she also runs a fashion blog.
Kryst founded a fashion blog called White Collar Glam, which is “dedicated to helping women dress professionally in white-collar jobs.” According to her website, Kryst was inspired to start the blog after “struggling to find appropriate, affordable and professional clothing.”
The website also says, “I eventually learned the ropes and started White Collar Glam so that I could provide you with workwear fashion inspiration and give some pointers and tips about your office wardrobe.”
6. And she’s an avid volunteer in her community.
She was a member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas, and serves on the Board of Directors. Her other volunteering credits include Dress for Success Charlotte, a Millennial Advisory Board Member at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture, and the Ayscue Professionalism Award Committee for the Mecklenburg County Bar.
7. She supports the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.
In the final round for her last question, she was asked if either of these movements have gone too far. She responded, “I don’t think these movements have gone too far. What #MeToo and #TimesUp are about are making sure that we foster safe and inclusive workplaces in our country. As an attorney, that’s exactly what I want to hear and that’s exactly what I want for this country. I think they’re good movements.”
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.