Nana Meriwether facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nana Meriwether
|
|
|---|---|
Meriwether in 2012
|
|
| Born |
Acornhoek, South Africa
|
| Education | |
| Title |
|
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Major competition(s) |
|
Nana Meriwether, born on May 24, 1985, is an American athlete. She used to play professional volleyball. She also won a beauty pageant title. In 2012, she represented Maryland in the Miss USA 2012 competition. She finished as the first runner-up.
Later that year, the winner, Olivia Culpo, won Miss Universe 2012. Because of this, Nana Meriwether became Miss USA. She is also a co-founder of the Meriwether Foundation. This is a group that helps people. She was also a two-time All-American volleyball player at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Contents
About Nana Meriwether
Her Early Life
Nana Meriwether was born on May 24, 1985. This happened in Acornhoek, South Africa, at Tintswalo Hospital. Her father, Delano Meriwether, was the first African-American student at Duke University School of Medicine. Her mother, Nomvimbi Meriwether, is from South Africa. She works as a lawyer.
Nana's parents were doing volunteer work in South Africa when she was born. She grew up in Potomac, Maryland. She went to Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C.
Her College and Sports Career
Meriwether played volleyball at Duke University for one semester. Then, she moved to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). At UCLA, she was named an NCAA All-American volleyball player two times. She earned a degree in political science.
After college, Meriwether played professional volleyball. She played for Las Indias de Mayagüez in Puerto Rico. She also trained for the United States women's national volleyball team. This was for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Later, she studied premedical sciences at the University of Southern California.
Her Pageant Journey
Competing for State Titles
Meriwether's first beauty pageant was Miss California USA 2008. She represented Malibu. She did not make it to the final rounds. She tried again in Miss California USA 2009. This time, she represented Beverly Hills. She finished as the third runner-up.
Meriwether competed in Miss California USA 2010. She finished as the first runner-up. She tried one last time in Miss California USA 2011. She finished as the fourth runner-up. After four years in California, Meriwether went back to her home state of Maryland. She entered Miss Maryland USA 2012. She won this title. This meant she would represent Maryland at Miss USA.
Becoming Miss USA 2012
Meriwether represented Maryland at Miss USA 2012. She finished as the first runner-up. The winner was Olivia Culpo from Rhode Island. On December 19, 2012, Olivia Culpo won the title of Miss Universe 2012.
When Miss USA wins Miss Universe, she has to give up her Miss USA title. This is part of the pageant rules. So, the first runner-up becomes the new Miss USA. This meant Nana Meriwether became Miss USA 2012 three weeks later.
Other Things She Does
Meriwether is a co-founder of the Meriwether Foundation. She runs this group with her family members. The foundation helps people in Southern Africa. They work on health, education, food, and development programs. These programs are for communities in rural and poor areas.
Meriwether also worked as an executive assistant. She helped Glenda Bailey, who was the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar magazine. She has also worked for and written for other fashion magazines. These include CR Fashion Book by Carine Roitfeld, Vanity Fair, and Vogue Australia.
See also
In Spanish: Nana Meriwether para niños
