Triple crown winner Ayesha Cooper

Ayesha Cooper shines with her three titles

The titles Miss Global US 2012, Miss Global America 2012 and Miss Global America US 2012, all belong to Ayesha Cooper. She jokes that sometimes she doesn't know what to call herself because it's like having a split personality. Through the candid interview that Ayesha gave, we learn more about this beautiful, special lady who has her heart in the right place.

Background
Ayesha was born and raised in Camden, New Jersey. An area with a lot of crime, drugs and poverty. In 2004, 2005 and 2009 it was ranked as the most dangerous city according to FBI statistics. The Camden community consisted mainly of African-Americans and Latinos. After Ayesha finished elementary school, the family moved to a better suburb of New Jersey (Magnolia) with a predominantly white population. Ayesha says that this was a complete culture shock for her. Feelings of isolation and a school where both students and teachers did not treat her well.

Nevertheless, she managed to make it far. She received her Bachelor of Science in Media Studies from Radford University in 2000. She is currently employed as a lender at a credit company.

Miss elections
Ayesha has been competing in Miss pageants since she was 12. Her mother thought this was the way to ensure that she had a better posture and more self-confidence. In her youth, Ayesha was tall, very slim, had braces and wore glasses. She competed in several pageants and won local, state and national titles. In 1995, she became the first African-American to win the title of Miss Magnolia, breaking the racial barrier.

For fourteen years she had stopped participating in beauty pageants, but decided to start doing this again to draw attention to her charities and thus raise money. Helping others comes naturally to Ayesha. She did her first volunteer project when she was 8.
Ayesha confirms that beauty pageants are not that easy. She says speaking in front of the jury is the most difficult. She finds modeling the easiest. If she already has a beautiful dress, she feels confident and it is no longer broken.

When asked if many contestants wear extensions or hairpieces and how she sees herself in contrast, Ayesha says that it is very common. It is like putting on fake eyelashes; it is part of it. Because she was the only one with frizzy hair, it was even more noticeable, but she had no problem with it. On the contrary, she saw it as a way to stand out in a positive way because the other ladies were so “the same.” A fellow contestant told Ayesha that she proved that frizzy hair could be mainstream and that she wished she had the courage to do that too.

According to Ayesha, many women do not dare to go curly because they are afraid of the negative impact on their lives and their jobs. But that does not have to be the case. Making the choice often has to do with your own self-confidence. Ayesha feels rightly proud of winning three national Miss titles. Winning one title is already great, let alone three in a row.

Transition to curly hair
Ayesha says she had her first relaxer at age 12. Living in a white suburb, she felt pressure to fit in and be like them. Despite her hair feeling dry and dead, she continued to relax. The turning point came when she graduated from college. It felt like the right time for a new beginning and she decided to make the transition.

Ayesha wore braided extensions for 10 years. This was easy given her busy schedule with her obligations as Miss, volunteer work, sports and photoshoots. When she first saw 'Sisterlocks' (developed by Dr. Joanne Cornwell) she knew she wanted them. She got a lot from her hairdresser Ann Kapciuch and her direct environment. Because her mother and many other family members and friends are also curly, this also inspired her. The necessary support was also not lacking at work. Her colleagues quickly got used to it. She has now been happy with her locks for 2 years. Due to the transition, Ayesha's self-confidence increased even more and she is even approached by men more often than before!

Role models

As role models, Ayesha cites her grandmothers (on both her father's and mother's sides), her mother, Tina Turner, and her student (Ayesha also volunteers as a teacher) who is going for the GED (basic diploma via state exam).

In the 50s, her grandmothers worked, which was unusual at the time. She admires her mother for her perseverance and Tina Turner for being a strong, confident woman. For Ayesha, Tina Turner is also an inspiration during sports, because she has proven that women with a trained body can still be beautiful and feminine. About her student, she says that she is a woman who came to America 30 years ago on an asylum visa, never went to school, is a single mother with an income below the poverty line. She is determined to finish her education. If she refuses to give up, why should I? says Ayesha.

Stay fit
How does Ayesha stay in shape? She loves sports. In the mornings she follows kickboxing or boxing lessons and four times a week she does yoga in the evenings. Basketball and rugby also attract her attention.

She is also conscious about food. She has been a vegetarian for 12 years, she does not eat processed food or junk food. She often chooses locally grown organic products, she is a fan of Farmer's Markets in particular. She is also a 'holist' which means that she does not take aspirin or other medicines unless it concerns a life-threatening situation.

Goals as Miss
With her title, Ayesha wants to draw attention to her charities and raise money for them. Her charities are: Habitat for Humanity, The Capital Area Foodbank and she also wants to be an inspiration for young people who come from underprivileged neighborhoods where crime, drugs and poverty are prevalent. She herself came from such a neighborhood and she wants to show young people that you can make your dreams come true and bring about change.

Through her volunteer work, Ayesha experiences many special things. She has made several trips for Habitat for Humanity. She has built houses in Alaska, Cambodia, Zambia and New Zealand. All these trips had something special for her. Remarkable was New Zealand with which she immediately felt a connection because one of the homeowners had a kidney disease and two failed transplants. He and his family needed a home that would fit all his dialysis equipment. During this period, Ayesha's father was waiting for a liver transplant and she saw the trip to New Zealand as her destiny to be able to help this family while she had no influence on her father's situation.

Closing Words
Finally, Ayesha states: This website is a valuable resource for people who want to get back to their roots. It is also a good place to spread the word and receive support for living a “natural” lifestyle, which is not just about hair. Keep on walking! And as Mathama Gandhi said: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”