Noelia Voigt
Noelia Victoria Voigt is an American interior designer, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2023 and represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2023, where she placed in the Top 20.
Early life and career
Voigt is the daughter of an American former baseball outfielder, Jack Voigt, and a Venezuelan, Jackeline Briceño. She is the first Venezuelan-American to earn the title Miss Utah USA and eventually Miss USA. She attended Pine View School for the Gifted in Osprey, Florida.Voigt has said she wanted to compete in pageants as a child, but her mother made her wait until she became a teenager. After competing in her first pageant at age 16, she faced bullying by her peers which inspired her to take up a platform of anti-bullying. In 2021, Voigt authored a children's book called Maddie the BRAVE, inspired by Madison Whitsett, a 9-year-old who died by suicide after being bullied at her school in 2018.
Voigt attended the University of Alabama and is a licensed esthetician and lash technician.
Pageantry
Miss USA 2023
After reaching the first runner-up position at Miss Alabama-USA for the second consecutive time, she moved to South Jordan, Utah, in April 2023 and competed for the title of Miss Utah USA 2023. After winning her adoptive state pageant, she went on to represent Utah at Miss USA 2023 on September 29 in Reno, Nevada, winning and becoming their first Venezuelan-American winner and state titleholder.During the competition, after passing through the top 20 with the swimsuit and evening gown competitions, she eventually reaching the top five, along with contestants from Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. In the final question and answer round, Voigt was asked: "As the brand ambassador for Miss USA, what will be your contribution to the organization?" to which she answered:
Voigt was crowned by the outgoing titleholder Morgan Romano of North Carolina as Miss USA. She later resigned her title on May 6, 2024, citing struggles with mental health. Comments on Voigt's post noted that the first letters of the sentences spelled out "I am silenced" though it was unclear if that was intentional. Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii, who had placed as Voigt's first runner-up, was later announced as her Miss USA successor.