Mariah’s journey with the Miss America Organization began ten years ago when a friend was nervous to compete in the Miss North Phoenix preliminary alone, so she entered with her. They both earned local titles and competed for Miss Arizona’s Outstanding Teen together. Through the program, she gained scholarship support that helped her graduate college nearly debt-free and built a network of strong women who encouraged her growth into adulthood. She excited to return to MAO to continue developing her talent, character, confidence, and lifelong friendships.
Mariah graduated from Arizona State University in 2021 with a B.A. in Digital Audiences and Media Analysis and currently works as a Commercial Programs Manager for a pharmaceutical company focused on improving patient quality of life. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in Data Science at UNLV to deepen her skills in analytics and coding. The scholarships earned through the Miss America Opportunity have supported her education and professional development, and they will continue to help her invest in the training and credentials that support her long-term goal of working in film and television as an actress.
Mariah founded The Hidden Caregiver Network to support children who quietly take on adult responsibilities when a family faces illness or loss. Her service background includes 500+ volunteer hours with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and National Kidney Foundation, partnerships with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and Race to Erase MS, and $10,000+ raised through grassroots fundraising for pancreatic cancer research. Moving forward, she is focused on expanding referral pathways through schools and nonprofits, building an accessible support network for families, and conducting interviews that amplify hidden caregiver stories because kids growing up overnight need networks today.
Mariah grew up with a single mom and a sister eight years younger than her, which made childhood a little different in the best way! Her story started in Pie Town, New Mexico, a small town on the Continental Divide Trail, and eventually brought her to Henderson, Nevada, with five states in between. Along the way she picked up some unforgettable experiences, including working as a birthday-party princess and collecting plenty of “only in my family” stories (including a very serious childhood love of karaoke and cheese fries). Today, she is grateful for an incredible circle of friends, both nearby and as far as Switzerland, and a life she wouldn’t trade for anything.
As Miss Nevada, Mariah’s goal is to focus on three areas: recruitment, service, and connection. She wants to help grow participation in Miss Nevada and Miss Nevada’s Teen by encouraging more young women to compete and by strengthening statewide interest in the organization to hopefully bring the return of local preliminary programs. From a service standpoint, she plans to be highly involved across Nevada, supporting organizations in as many counties as possible and using appearances to elevate community partners doing meaningful work. Finally, she will use her year to build lasting relationships that strengthen both the organization and her Service Initiative, The Hidden Caregiver Network. Her legacy goal is simple: to be remembered as a titleholder who showed up consistently, led with authenticity, and left every room, and this organization, better than she found it.
