MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – The new Miss South Carolina was crowned on June 29, and Miss Myrtle Beach was one of the last standing on stage.
“I just kind of never expected, you know, being like one of the last two standing,” Brooke Vu said.
She now adds the title of first runner-up to Miss South Carolina to her resume, and it’s an experience 10 years in the making.
“Ten years of work, hard work and preparation, and every early morning has, you know, came to that moment, and I don’t think they think could have prepared me for that,” she said.
Even though she didn’t walk away with the grand prize, she did walk away with an award many have applied for, but only 87 in the state have received.
“The Quality of Life award in the Miss America opportunity has always been one of the most coveted awards that they hand out. And so the people that are awarded this award are recognized for their community service, their work in their state in their hometown, in their community,” Vu said.
Community service is a large part of the Miss America Opportunity. In order to compete, young women must promote and be actively involved in a platform that serves and betters their community. Vu broke barriers with her project.
“I was one of the very first people that ever start talking about sustainability or the environment in the whole Miss America program. And so for a long time, I never knew if it was really appreciated or if people really understand what my work does,” she said.
It’s multi-faceted work.
“It works to promote cleanups in the community. So beautifying communities, it also works to prevent food waste, and also preserving the faith in recycling,” she explained.
This prestigious award isn’t the only thing she’s gained from this organization. She’s also earned more than 45,000 in scholarship dollars in her ten years.
“I was able to graduate completely debt-free as a first-generation college student from Coastal Carolina University,” Vu said.
Since her time with Miss S.C. has come to a close, we asked her what’s next.
“Stay tuned,” she said.
She said she wants to continue using her platform to promote sustainability and is even considering doing something in environmental law.
Miss Clemson, Davis Wash, won the title of Miss South Carolina and will go on to compete at Miss America in the winter.
Copyright 2024 WMBF. All rights reserved.
