Elle Smith facts for kids

Ellen Elizabeth "Elle" Smith (born June 19, 1998) is an American journalist and a winner of beauty pageants. She was crowned Miss USA 2021. As Miss USA, she represented the United States at Miss Universe 2021. She placed in the Top 10 at that competition. Before this, Smith was crowned Miss Kentucky USA 2021. She is the second woman from Kentucky to win the Miss USA title.

Elle Smith's Early Life and School

Ellen Elizabeth Smith was born on June 19, 1998. Her birthplace was Springfield, Ohio. Her parents are Samuel Clayborne and Lydia Smith. Elle is biracial, meaning she has both Black and White heritage. Her Black ancestors moved to Ohio after the American Civil War. They had lived in Kentucky before that.

Smith finished Shawnee High School in 2016. She was a great student there. She was part of the choir, orchestra, volleyball team, and drama club. After high school, she moved to Lexington, Kentucky. She went to the University of Kentucky. In 2020, she earned a degree in broadcast journalism. She also studied political science.

While at the university, Smith was the vice president. She helped lead the school's chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. After college, Smith became a reporter. She worked for WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kentucky. She reported on news in Southern Indiana.

Elle Smith's Pageant Journey

Smith first became interested in beauty pageants in high school. One of her classmates, Brittany Reid, won Miss Ohio Teen USA 2013. This inspired Elle. However, she did not compete in a pageant herself until eight years later.

In 2021, she entered the Miss Kentucky USA 2021 pageant. She represented Germantown, Louisville. Smith won the competition.

Winning Miss USA 2021

As Miss Kentucky USA, Smith went on to represent Kentucky at Miss USA 2021. The competition took place on November 29, 2021. It was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Smith won the Miss USA title. She became the second person from Kentucky to be crowned Miss USA. The first was Tara Conner in 2006.

During the final question part of the pageant, Smith chose judge Ty Hunter. He asked her about being environmentally friendly. He asked, "Sustainability is becoming more and more important in professional landscapes. How can we encourage business to be more environmentally conscious?"

Smith gave a thoughtful answer:

I think we've got to look at it from a macro level and also a micro level. So at the macro level, companies need to switch to green energy, I think that's something we can all agree on. On the micro level, we all know how to reduce, reuse, and recycle, and those are things that we can implement in our daily lives.

After winning, Smith moved to Los Angeles. She took part in many events during her year as Miss USA.

Competing in Miss Universe 2021

As Miss USA, Smith represented the United States at Miss Universe 2021. She competed against women from all over the world. She did very well in the competition. Smith reached the Top 10 finalists.

See also

In Spanish: Elle Smith para niños