Who Is Kara McCullough? Miss District Of Colombia Named Miss USA 2017

Miss USA 2017, Kara McCullough, is a 25-year-old scientist from Washington D.C., who represented the District of Columbia. She works for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and was crowned Sunday at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on the Las Vegas Strip.

McCullough was born in Naples, Italy and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Being the daughter of a now retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, she lived in several cities and countries such as Japan, South Korea, Sicily and Hawaii.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry with a focus on Radiochemistry from South Carolina State University, according to her biography on the Miss USA website.

Read: Past 10 Winners Of Miss Universe

Incidentally, last year's Miss USA winner, Deshauna Barber, was also representing the District of Columbia and she was working for the Army. Just three months after winning the crown, Barber lost her mother to lung cancer, reports said.

She was also present at this year's ceremony and crowned McCullough, while also giving a tribute to her mother during the broadcast on Mother's Day.

During the question-answer round, given the current debate over affordable healthcare in the U.S., McCullough was asked whether it is a right or a privilege. She replied healthcare should only go to those with jobs and it is the country's responsibility to create more jobs so more people have access to healthcare. Her answer received mixed responses on social media.

The top three finalists were also asked about their definition of feminism, and whether they considered themselves a feminist or not. “I don’t want to call myself a feminist,” McCullough said. “Women, we are just as equal as men, especially in the workplace.”

According to the Miss USA website, McCullough said her title would allow her to be an ambassador in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) field for many children, students and women.

STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in an integrated manner, which emphasizes on real-world applications.

"I want to foster the greatness or science in children at a tender age, so they don't have to endure the cycle of fear I did. STEM education is critical for all students. The opportunities are endless in the STEM field," McCullough said. "As Miss USA, I want to expand my nonprofit into colleges and create a high school Nuclear Engineering and Radiochemistry bridge program at universities that feature a nuclear program," she added.

The two-hour broadcast had musical performances by Pitbull and Brett Eldredge , as well as a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson ONE” show.

Dancing With the Stars' Julianne Hough and Terrence J were the hosts of the competition, while Ashley Graham served as the show's backstage host.

Halima Aden, the first woman to compete in a Miss USA state pageant wearing a hijab and burkini, was one of the judges for the beauty pageant. TV personality Carson Kressley, former Miss USA and Miss Universe Brook Lee, founder of Dress for Success Nancy Lubin, style expert Jeannie Mai, and bestselling author Janet Mock were the other judges on the panel.