Annette Addo-Yobo becomes first Ghanaian to be crowned Miss Texas
Annette Addo-Yobo of North Texas has achieved a historic milestone by being crowned Miss Texas 2024.
The prestigious beauty pageant took place on Saturday night at the Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson, marking a significant moment in the pageant’s history.
Addo-Yobo’s victory is groundbreaking as she becomes both the first immigrant-born and the first Ghanaian to win the title of Miss Texas. Representing Miss Southlake, she surpassed fierce competition to earn this esteemed honor.
Originally born in Ghana and raised in Canada and the United States, Addo-Yobo pursued her education at the University of Texas at Dallas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2020.
In a heartfelt message on the “Miss Southlake” social media account, she shared the challenges she faced due to her citizenship status, which prevented her from accessing numerous opportunities during her teenage and college years. It was not until 2022 that she received her U.S. citizenship.
Expressing her gratitude in an Instagram post, Addo-Yobo said she feels “humbled, honored, and grateful” to be the 87th Miss Texas.
She looks forward to “continuing to make history with the Texas community and the Miss Texas class.” Her victory in the Miss Texas 2024 competition comes with a $20,000 scholarship and the opportunity to represent Texas in the Miss America contest.
Previously holding the title of Miss Dallas in 2023, Addo-Yobo used the pageant’s talent contest to shine a light on a cause close to her heart: autism awareness.
Her spoken word performance highlighted her dedication to this issue, which has been significant in her life since her younger brother Andrew was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at age four.
“I want to bring autism safety, awareness, and education to the frontlines of our programming and our legislation. My younger brother Andrew had a large learning curve to overcome as an immigrant to this country,” Addo-Yobo shared.
Her win has only reinforced her commitment to using her platform, The SPARK Project, to address the structural inequities faced by individuals with autism.
“As a sibling to someone on the spectrum, I noticed the systemic inequities and lack of education and training very early. It is my mission to amplify the voices of the autistic community and ensure that legislators, decision-makers, and community members see us and fight for us,” she added in her Instagram post.
The Miss Southlake social media account also highlights some of her previous work, including her efforts to bring autism awareness to Capitol Hill in March as the sole volunteer advocate for Autism Speaks.
The final winners of the 2024 Miss Texas competition are as follows:
- Miss Texas: Miss Southlake, Annette Addo-Yobo
- 1st Runner-Up: Miss Space City, Chloe Burke
- 2nd Runner-Up: Miss Southeast Texas, Anyssa Mujica
- 3rd Runner-Up: Miss Plano, Sadie Schiermeyer
- 4th Runner-Up: Miss Burleson, Nicole Wingard
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