Miss Texas R'Bonney Gabriel Makes History as First Filipino-American to Win Miss USA

1. Miss Texas R'Bonney Gabriel was crowned Miss USA 2022 on Monday at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, beating out Miss North Carolina Morgan Romano and Miss Nebraska Natalie Pieper for the title.

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2. Gabriel, 28, is the first Filipino-American to win the pageant and will go on to represent the U.S. at the upcoming Miss Universe pageant, which is scheduled to take place on Jan. 23 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

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3. Gabriel succeeds Miss Kentucky Elle Smith, who was named Miss USA in 2021. Smith, 23, crowned her successor during Monday's ceremony, officially passing off her duties as last year's winner as a result.

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4. In December 2021, Gabriel became the first Asian American to claim the Miss Texas USA title.The Houston resident explained how she felt a "big responsibility" to positively honor her multicultural background while representing the Lone Star State in a hope that it could empower others to do the same.

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5. The model and designer runs her own fashion label R; Bonney Nola, which uses sustainable design methods and a combination of repurposed or natural fabrics in all its clothing, per its website.

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7. Gabriel is also a sewing teacher at Houston-based nonprofit Magpies and peacocks, which reuses post-consumer clothing, scrap textiles and accessories diverted from landfill to create sustainable clothing.

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8. This year's Miss USA competition drew former contestants like Miss Michigan 2021 Taylor Hale, who went on to win Big Brother 24 this summer.

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