UmaSofia Srivastava, who holds the current title of Miss Teen USA, has announced that she will be stepping down from her title.
The beauty queen made the announcement on May 8 in a post on Instagram, just days after Miss USA, Noelia Voigt, said that she will also be resigning from her title.
In the post, Ms. Srivastava said the decision to step down was a tough one that she had been grappling with for months.
“I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization,” she wrote in the post.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me these past two years, it has truly been an honor to represent you all.”
Ms. Srivastava went on to say that she excited about applying to colleges, where she will continue to advocate for education and acceptance with her multi-lingual children’s book “The White Jaguar.”
“While this was certainly not how I saw my reign coming to a close, I am excited to continue my advocacy for education and acceptance, start applying to colleges, and share some exciting new projects,” she wrote in the caption.
In her post, Ms. Srivastava expressed she was proud to be a first-generation Mexican-Indian American and said she was happy “knowing that my academic career has been defined by my hard work, and my hard work alone.”
“At the end of the day, I am so lucky to have had the privilege of this experience, but if this is just a chapter, I know that the story of my life will truly be incredible,” she continued.
Two days early, Ms. Voigt, who won the title of Miss USA in 2023, said she is relinquishing her crown, citing her physical and mental well-being as a reason for her decision.
Ms. Voigt, 24, announced the news on her Instagram account on May 6.
“I realize this may come as a large shock to many. Never compromise your physical and mental well-being. Our health is our wealth,” read the caption on her post.
The Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants issued a joint Instagram post, where they expressed respect and understanding for the beauty queens’ decision to step down, wishing them the best while assuring plans for successors to be announced in due course.
“We respect and support UmaSofia’s decision to step down from her duties. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority. We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss Teen USA,” the post read.
Earlier this month, the organization’s social media director, Claudia Michelle, resigned from her post, which sparked speculation about likely problems within the organization, along with questions about a potential overhaul of its governance.