In a historic Miss USA pageant Monday night, Miss Kentucky Elle Smith was named Miss USA 2021!

Elle is a multimedia journalist at Louisville’s ABC affiliate WHAS11, where she’s worked since October 2020 after graduating from the University of Kentucky with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. While at University of Kentucky, she was vice president of the school’s National Association of Black Journalists chapter, was a reporter and videographer, and held multiple journalism internships in Arkansas and Washington, D.C.

Elle will travel to Eilat, Israel to compete in the Miss Universe pageant on Dec. 12. We wish her luck!