MILWAUKEE — From starting her own charity to dance team captain and securing a spot at UW-Madison, there's not a lot 18-year-old Adaobi Nnamuchi hasn't done.
Now, she can add Miss Juneteenth 2023 to her resume.
"I am so excited! It's going to be so fun, so lively," Nnamuchi said about the parade and celebration planned for June 19.
Nnamuchi was crowned over the weekend during Milwaukee's 31st Juneteenth Scholarship Pageant. Winners receive a $1,500 scholarship, which she'll be using when she heads to college in the fall.
"I plan on going to UW-Madison and plan on majoring in global health, taking on two minors the first being health promotion, health equity and the second being African studies to be a pre-med student," Nnamuchi said.
She's a proud Rufus King International Baccalaureate High School graduate and maintained a 5.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
She even started her own charity which supports and gives back to the community in her mom's Nigerian village.
"I start a charity called Bia Nakota! It means come and collect in Igbo. My mom and I have been doing this for five or six years now. Basically every year we donate 3,000 articles of clothing, shoes, computers and we donate it to our village," Nnamuchi explained. "That's my home. Besides America, that's the place where I like to call home. It's where my bloodline is."
She's also a self-taught dancer and was captain of her school's team last year. She's involved in student government and at her church. She also spends time at the Nigerian Community Center hosting events.
For the next few weeks, her time will be dedicated to all things Juneteenth.
"Juneteenth not only means, it's of course joy, freedom, jubilee day, but also sparks a new interest in me as to start and create my legacy," she said.
She hopes her legacy inspires future Miss and Mister Juneteenths.
"I want to inspire other Black youth and other people of color to just focus on their community and how can they give back their community and how they can challenge problems in their community," Nnamuchi said. "What can we do to make Milwaukee a better Milwaukee?"
You can see Miss Juneteenth and the rest of the court at the parade on June 19.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
