Noelia Voigt, the reigning Miss USA, is stepping down to focus on her mental health.
In an Instagram post on Monday, the 24-year-old model and author announced that she was stepping down from her position less than a year after winning the title. She addressed her 106,000 followers, expressing her gratitude while also announcing the “difficult decision.”
“In life, I really appreciate the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health. As individuals, we grow by experiencing different things in life that lead us to learn more about ourselves,” she began her post, which revealed a lengthy written statement.
“Unfortunately, I have made the very difficult decision to forgo the title of Miss USA 2023,” Voigt continued.
In September, Voigt competed on behalf of Utah in the Miss USA pageant, ultimately beating Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz, who placed second, and Miss Wisconsin Alexis Loomans. At the time, she said that if she won, her main goal would be to engage with the diverse citizens of the United States and advocate for the causes she cares about, including combating bullying and raising awareness about violence dating.
“As a bilingual Venezuelan-American woman, I plan to connect with this community of people because the United States of America is a diverse country and a Miss USA must be able to represent every community, regardless of their background “, their race or their ethnicity,” “anything and I would love to be that Miss USA,” she said via Ladies wear daily.
In her post Monday, Voigt reiterated her statements from the competition, saying that she considers it the honor of her life to be an “ardent” advocate for important causes, including anti-bullying awareness. In 2021 she wrote Maddie the Braveabout defending yourself against bullying.
“Every time someone asked me what I liked most about being Miss USA, I told them how much I enjoyed working with Smile Train as I am an ardent advocate for anti-bullying, education and dating prevention “Violence and immigration rights and reforms and sheds light on my roots as the first Venezuelan-American woman to win Miss USA,” she wrote.
“I could never have imagined the journey my childhood dream would take me on. Constant and consistent hard work and dedication has led me to where I am today and I hope that the last seven years of competing and sharing my journey with others continue to be with me.” “With “To all of you is something that inspires you to never give up on your dreams, whatever they may be,” shared Voigt, who competed in the Miss Universe pageant in November.
She ended her post by telling her followers about the “eternal gratitude” she feels for this opportunity and said that she sees this as just the beginning of a new and exciting journey.
“Deep down, I know this is just the beginning of a new chapter for me, and I hope to continue to inspire others to stand firm, to prioritize your mental health, to use your voice to advocate for yourself and others and to never be. “Afraid of what the future holds, even if it feels uncertain,” she wrote.
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