The Miss USA 2017 pageant saw 20-year-old Indian-American, Chhavi Verg, occupying the second spot. African-American beauty Kara McCullough clinched the winner's title.
During an evening in Las Vegas that celebrated beauty and diversity, Miss New Jersey Verg, who was among the top fan favourites, won the Miss USA 2017 first runner-up position.
Verg, a Bharatanatyam dancer, lost the title to Miss District of Columbia Kára McCullough during a night full of glitz and glamour.
A student at Rutgers University studying marketing and Spanish, Verg is a total fitness freak and a certified personal trainer. She also runs a health/fitness website, which features vegan/vegetarian recipes and other healthy living tips and tricks.
“With social media, I believe it has given us so much power in this world, but with great power comes great responsibility and I have seen both ends of social media,” said Verg.
“For me, it has been one of the most empowering experiences because I have met so many empowered women, but at the same time, I have also been a victim of cyberbullying like many of the contestants with me standing on this stage. Social media is again a privilege, it’s something you have to be careful of, you can’t just say anything just because you are anonymous, and once we realise that, that’s when we can truly live in a better world for everyone,” she added.
The second runner-up was Miss Minnesota Meridith Gould.