Alayah Benavidez
Alayah Benavidez
Alayah Benavidez (born 1995) is an American beauty pageant winner, reality television star, and model. She is the winner of the 2019 Miss USA Competition as Miss Texas.[1]
Early Life and Education
Alayah Benavidez was born in the states of Texas in 1995. She attended O’Connor High School in Texas and shortly after studied English at the University of Texas at San Antonio.[4]
Career
Modeling and Pageants
Alayah Benavidez has competed professionally in many pageants. Over her career in the circuit she has won the following titles:
Miss San Antonio Texas Teen USA 2013
Greater Helotes Texas MS 2015
Miss San Antonio United States 2016
Miss San Antonio Texas 2018
In an interview with San Antonio Express News that was published on April 29, 2019, Alayah commented on the pageant scene and what people may say in the age of the #MeToo Movement,[16]
"I feel like those people just don’t have the full understanding of what we’re doing as contestants.
They just see the photos, or they have their own personal conception but have never had the chance to speak to a contestant or actually see what they do after the pageant’s over.The
pageant itself is the smallest blip of the year for the title holder. Immediately
following that you just have a year of service and community involvement. You’re
just so active.It’s so
much more than that 30 seconds that you’re onstage in a swimsuit. That is
what they seem to want to focus on. So if
they’re able to talk to contestants and just see how impressive these women’s résumés are, I think it will really change their perception of pageantry."
Charity
To benefit local Texas literacy programs and schools, Alayah created the 'Read the Way' campaign.
Other charitable efforts she has participated in include:[3]
Muscular Dystrophy Association Walk of Hope team captain
Muscular Dystrophy camp counselor
God’s Love We Deliver
Habitat for Humanity
The United Service Organizations
Down Syndrome Association of South Texas
Alayah is also the co-owner of Three Bees Boutique, a family clothing and accessory business that is co-owned by her mother, the Boss Bee, and her sister The Honey Bee.
Alayah is known as the Queen Bee and her role beyond the modeling and fashion side of the business is to find literacy programs to donate a portion of the shop's sales to.
She also trains new up and coming pageant contestants.[13]
The Bachelor Season 24
Season 24 of the popular reality television show The Bachelor premiered on January 6, 2020. Alayah is one of the thirty female contestants on the show competing to marry bachelor Peter Weber.[14]
Social Media
On Instagram Alayah has amassed over 54,000 followers as of January 2020. Alayah goes by the handle @alayahbenavidez and often posts selfies in locations across the United States, including California, Texas, and Florida. She also promotes various brands, stylists and photographers on the account.[2]
Trivia
Benavidez claims the Texas Longhorn is her spirit animal.
She had won the title of Miss USA in 2019 on her fourth attempt at competing in the pageant.
She also enjoys writing poetry.[4]
She claims to be an iced latte fanatic.[2]
See Also
Alayah starred on Season 24 of The Bachelor alongside these women:
Courtney Perry
Deandra Kanu
Eunice Cho
Jade Gilliland