Elle Smith of Germantown, Kentucky, was named Miss Kentucky USA, besting 45 other candidates during the 67th competition Saturday night at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset.

 

A graduate from the University of Kentucky’s School of Journalism, Smith graduated with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in political science. She was the vice president of the university’s National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) chapter.

In October 2020, Smith started working as a reporter at WHAS11 News, an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Louisville.

With her win, she will move on to the national Miss USA pageant that will be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Nov. 29.