Nigerian/Tenn. Beauty Sizzles on Stage with Talent & Intelligence to Capture Miss Africa USA Crown

SILVER SPRING, Md. - July 31, 2013 - PRLog -- Before a lively crowd of 1,200 people at the Fillmore Theater in Silver Spring, Md., Kathy Onwu rose to the top to claim the coveted 2013-14 Miss Africa USA crown last month.

The grand finals offered strong competition among 21 young women each representing a different African nation. In addition to their humanitarian platforms, the young women were judged on their knowledge of current affairs, originality, creativity, stage presence, personal style, beauty, elegance and talent. According to the panel of judges, Onwu scored high marks in all areas and embodied the spirit of the pageant.

Onwu, whose mother died of breast cancer in 2009, is utilizing the Miss Africa USA platform to raise awareness about the importance of primary prevention and education on breast health. “My passion for people, health and education drives me every day to show how important it is to embrace the values of life,” said Onwu.

The 25-year-old registered nurse and her family originally hail from Enugu State, Nigeria. Onwu currently lives in Nashville, Tenn., where she is working on her master’s degree in nursing and planning to become a family practitioner.

“This year’s pageant was our best yet! All of the girls brought spectacular community service initiatives, were well-educated, and handled themselves with elegance and grace,” said a proud Lady Kate Njeuma, founder & CEO of the pageant. “Of course, there can only be one winner and we are so excited for Kathy! She is a delight and a well-rounded young woman. We look forward to working with her as she raises awareness about breast cancer and the need for early detection to help save lives.”

Onwu has already started her own nonprofit organization, Vala Inc., to promote primary prevention in healthcare. During her reign, she will collaborate with other organizations to provide health care screenings and educational materials to women and children in underserved populations in Africa and the United States.

For the 2013-14 year, the Miss Africa USA Pageant has also named political/social activist and writer Marcia L. Dyson as the new chair of the pageant. The honorary chair, Hope Sullivan Masters, will continue to serve as the Chair Emeritus with a philanthropic assemblage of dignitaries, celebrities and international thought leaders.

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The Miss Africa USA Pageant was created to empower young women, and develop the next generation of African female leaders and goodwill ambassadors to impact their communities in Africa, America and the rest of the world. Through the vision of Cameroonian American Lady Kate Njeuma, the pageant was launched in 2005 in Atlanta, Ga., and has blossomed and grown into a national event that is now held in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

         www.missafricaunitedstates.com