Kára McCullough Enthuses About Her Miss USA Reign: ‘I Would Do It Again If I Could’

Paige Kindlick

As Miss USA Kára McCullough’s year-long reign comes to an end, she speaks to HollywoodLife exclusively about her time on the throne!

Could Kára McCullough re-enter the Miss USA competition, and reign again?! She would, if given the option. “It’s really been an opportunity of a lifetime, I would love to do it again if I could,” the current Miss tells HollywoodLife, reflecting on her year as a titleholder, before she must hand over her crown to the new winner on May 21. Kára, who is also a physical scientist, has had a stunning reign as the 66th Miss USA. An advocate for the natural hair movement, a self-described ‘equalist’ and a role model for all young women, Kàra has been an incredible representative of the Untied States during her tenure. Listen to the full interview on the HollywoodLife podcast!

It wasn’t all fun and games for the 26-year-old, she admits she did a lot of self-discovery along the way. “I used to believe that I was very outgoing all the time but I realized after becoming Miss USA, I wasn’t connecting with people because I always had this private life and I was afraid to kind of just be vulnerable to people in the world and share my life through social media,” Kára reveals. “I’ve learned that I actually don’t mind being vulnerable to my feelings. It’s been amazing seeing how people connect with me when I show them the food that I’m cooking or simple bun techniques with my hair when it comes to curly hair.”

Throughout her reign, she found a greater passion for her work as an emergency preparedness specialist in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, while also discovered she was an ‘ambivert’ — both an extrovert and an introvert. “People want to know what legacy you’re going to leave, so you can’t be afraid to be vulnerable with your feelings and connect with people. That’s what people want — they want that one person that gives them that oomph, that push, to share their story, to take life beyond measure, to wake up every morning and tell them that they are limitless.”

We are surely going to miss Kára wearing the Miss USA crown, but we also can’t wait to see her take her science studies to the next level. Be sure to tune in to Miss USA tonight on FOX at 8 PM ET, and see Kára crown the lucky winner!