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Filipino-American beauty queen Beatrice Millan-Windorski was recently crowned Miss Earth USA 2024.

She shared that she joined the competition because of her passion for environmental causes, one that is deeply rooted in her since she was a child.

The 21-year-old is a graduating History and International Relations student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

She is also the first Filipino-American to win the title.

Millan-Windorski said her goal was to only reach the Top 20 to be able to share with the wider audience her advocacy on climate refugees.

"My advocacy is called Open Doors, Open Hearts and it's all about raising awareness of the issues facing climate refugees," said the beauty queen. "I really wanted to focus on an environmental advocacy pageant to really promote this concern and directly [advance] the voices of refugees."

Millan-Windorski started volunteering for refugee communities in Milwaukee when she was 16.

The FilAm beauty queen’s advocacy is also in line with her goals of one day working with the U.S. State Department or the United Nations.

She is also writing a thesis about Filipino nationals in the U.S. Navy, and proudly displays her Filipino roots as Miss Earth USA 2024.

"There is a small but tight knit community of Filipinos in Wisconsin," said Millan-Windorski. "I'm also involved with Filipino groups on campus at UW Madison. I'm actually the coordinator of the Filipino Language Table, which is for Filipino students or anyone in the community who's interested in learning Filipino language."

Millan-Windorski, whose mother is a Filipina nurse, also regularly visits the Philippines to get to know her roots more and volunteer for a project that seeks to protect endangered sea turtles.

The beauty queen is thankful to LA-based Filipino fashion designer Carl Andrada, who created her gowns for the preliminary competition and the pageant finals.

She also credited her win to her pageant walk coach Alma Cabasal, who was the 2013 Miss Philippines Earth-Water.
      
"She really not only improved my pasarela but also my overall confidence," Millan-Windorski added. "I carry myself with a lot more grace now. I feel a lot more comfortable and confident moving into the international competition."

Milan-Windorski was crowned on New Year’s Eve in Orlando, Florida and she will represent the U.S. in the Miss Earth 2024 pageant, scheduled in the Fall of this year in Vietnam.