Meet Victoria Oluwakotanmi, former US navy officer crowned Miss Grand USA
Nigerian-American beauty queen Victoria Oluwakotanmi has stepped into the spotlight after becoming Miss Grand USA 2026.
Oluwakotanmi, who finished as the first runner-up at the Miss Grand USA final held on August 10, assumed the crown on Friday after the organisation terminated the reign of the original winner, Mekayla Li.
Her new title places her on an international stage, where she will represent the United States at the Miss Grand International pageant.
However, Oluwakotanmi’s journey to the crown extends beyond pageantry, with a background spanning the US Navy, education and youth empowerment.
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Oluwakotanmi is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants and has spoken publicly about her Nigerian heritage and experience growing up in a Nigerian-American family.
Long before she wore a pageant crown, Oluwakotanmi joined the United States Navy Reserve.
She enlisted in March 2019 as a Logistics Specialist and has been associated with the Naval Operational Support Center San Antonio at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.
Her military service has formed an important part of her public identity as a young Black woman who served in the US armed forces.
Oluwakotanmi began her pageant journey with the Miss Black San Antonio competition in February 2020.
Her first competition came with little of the elaborate preparation often associated with beauty pageants.
She later held the Miss Grand Illinois title and competed in Miss Texas USA as an at-large contestant.
Away from pageantry and military service, Oluwakotanmi studied chemical engineering at Northwest Vista College while serving in the Navy.
Education has also become an important part of her advocacy work.
In 2018, Oluwakotanmi and her family founded the Oluwakotanmi Promise, a scholarship and mentorship programme established in honour of her late grandmother.
According to Oluwakotanmi’s public accounts, her grandmother was denied the opportunity to attend college because of her gender.
The initiative was created to support young people through education, mentorship and other opportunities.
Oluwakotanmi has also shared updates about recipients of the programme, including members of its first cohort who graduated from high school in 2026.
Her path to the Miss Grand USA crown, however, took an unexpected turn.
Oluwakotanmi did not initially win the 2026 Miss Grand USA pageant. She finished as the first runner-up at the August 10 final, where Mekayla Li was crowned.
However, after the Miss Grand USA organisation terminated Li’s reign and released her from the title and associated duties, Oluwakotanmi was elevated to Miss Grand USA 2026.
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