Annette Addo-Yobo has a couple of accessories most women don't have in their closets; a jeweled crown and sash.
"It's very heavy-duty," Addo-Yobo said taking them out of their glass box. "I was with Miss America over the weekend."
Addo-Yobo made history when she was crowned Miss Texas earlier this month.
"I am the first immigrant-born Miss Texas, as well as the first Ghanaian to win the title," Addo-Yobo said.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
Addo-Yobo moved to the United States from Ghana when she was a toddler. She became a U.S. citizen 2-years ago, which made her eligible to enter the pageant. First, she won Miss Dallas, then Miss Southlake, and then Miss Texas.
She wants young girls and women who see her to see more than just a crown.
"Just reframing the conversation to show the immigrants are hard workers. I'm on my second master's degree and will be starting law school after my reign as Miss Texas," Addo-Yobo said. "I think the message really is that this is an organization that empowers all women to lead. That is the mission of the Miss America opportunity and that woman looks like anybody; it can look like me, it can look like you, it can look like 'Susie Q' down the street."
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
For Addo-Yobo it looked like Nia Imani Franklin, who won Miss America in 2019.
"When I watched Nia Imani Franklin win Miss America, around that time we also had a Black Miss USA and a Black Miss Universe, so that was really big for me," Addo-Yobo said. "It made it that much more achievable, and so it wasn't just a dream at that point, it was something that I know I can do because I've seen it be done."
Addo-Yobo hopes others who follow her will see the same thing and know they also can turn their dreams into reality.
Addo-Yobo's platform for her reign as Miss Texas is autism awareness through the SPARK project. She says her younger brother is on the spectrum, and she wants to help to help others become advocates.
Addo-Yobo will compete as Miss Texas for the Miss America title next year.
