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| Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo with Miss USA 2012 Nana Meriwether |
New York City, New York - Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo and Miss USA 2012 Nana Meriwether looked stunning as they attended the 2013 Peace Market at the Metropolitan Pavilion on March 13, 2013 in New York City.
About Olivia Culpo:
Olivia Culpo born on May 8, 1992 is an American beauty pageant titleholder who won the Miss USA 2012 and Miss Universe 2012 pageant, representing her home state of Rhode Island. She previously won the 2012 Miss Rhode Island USA competition, which was the first pageant she entered. She attended Boston University up until she won Miss USA 2012 and is currently not enrolled in school. She was crowned Miss Universe 2012 in Las Vegas; she is the first winner from the USA to obtain the crown since Brook Lee in 1997.
Miss USA 2012
Culpo competed in the Miss USA 2012 competition on June 3, 2012, representing the state of Rhode Island. She won the title of Miss USA. She was crowned by the outgoing titleholder Alyssa Campanella, Miss USA 2011. On July 6, 2012, the city of Cranston, Rhode Island held a special homecoming celebration honoring Culpo for her pageant win. A story time program was held at the Cranston Public Library at which Culpo read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein to a group of children. At an outdoor ceremony held at Cranston City Hall, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung presented Culpo with the key to the city.
Miss Universe 2012
Culpo represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2012 pageant that was held on December 19 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She won the competition and was crowned Miss Universe 2012, becoming the eighth representative from the United States to win the title, the first since 1997. Culpo also became the first Rhode Islander to win the Miss Universe title. She succeeds outgoing titleholder, Leila Lopes from Angola.
In January 2013, Culpo visited Indonesia for 3 weeks and helped crown the winner of Puteri Indonesia 2013 on February 1 in Jakarta. She also visited Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Bali during her visit. Culpo also filmed publicity for YOU•C1000 while in Borobudur.
Culpo attended the 85th Academy Awards, The Oscars at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles on February 24, 2013.
In March 2013, Culpo visited Russia along with Miss World 2012, Wenxia Yu to judge Miss Russia 2013 on March 2 in Moscow.
Personal life
Culpo was brought up in Edgewood (Cranston), Rhode Island, and is the daughter of Susan (née Curran) and Peter Culpo. She is the middle child of five. Her father is of Italian descent and her mother is of Irish and Italian ancestry. Culpo graduated from St. Mary Academy – Bay View in 2010 with high honors and as a member of the National Honor Society. In high school she participated in two foreign language trips to Milan, Italy.
Both of her parents began their professional career as musicians. Miss Culpo began studying cello in the second grade. She participated in the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, RI Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, Bay View Orchestra, Rhode Island All-State Orchestra, and Boston Youth Symphony, playing the cello. Culpo also studied voice. As a cellist, Culpo played in Boston Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, and in England. She attended the Brevard Music Center, in North Carolina two summers, and performs with the Boston Accompanietta.
About Nana Meriwether:
Nana Meriwether born on May 24, 1985 is an American beauty queen and current Miss USA titleholder. Meriwether was selected as Miss Maryland USA for 2012, and was first runner-up in the Miss USA 2012 pageant. With the ascension of Olivia Culpo to the Miss Universe 2012 crown on December 19, 2012, Meriwether assumed the title of Miss USA 2012.[1] After winning the crown Meriwether became the oldest contestant ever to be crowned Miss USA at the age of 27.
Born in South Africa while her parents were doing volunteer work, she was raised in Potomac, Maryland and is a 2003 graduate of Sidwell Friends School. She attended Duke University for one semester, where her father Delano Meriwether had been the first African-American medical student. She transferred to UCLA in 2004, where she graduated and was twice-named an All-American in volleyball. She then started graduate school at USC. She previously participated in California pageants (2008–2011), and finished as high as second.
