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MEET MISS WASHINGTON USA 2023

SAMANTHA GALLIA

Samantha earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in 2022 with high honors and was the student commencement speaker at graduation. She is a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the national dental honor society, and was the president of the Student Community Outreach and Public Education Organization, where she provided oral health education and care to underserved kids, families, and senior citizens. Samantha is an alumna of the University of the Pacific, where she graduated in three years with her Bachelors of Science in Biological Sciences in 2019. During her college career, Samantha served as the president of her sorority, Delta Gamma, and advocated for breast cancer awareness and support in honor of her grandma, Mary Lou, who passed away from the disease. Samantha resides in Seattle and is a Pacific Northwest girl through-and-through, having lived in Washington, California, and Oregon. She was previously a long-distance runner and has raced two full marathons. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, making homemade Cioppino with her Italian family, and cheering on her younger brother on the University of Washington Men’s Rowing Team- Go Dawgs! This year, Samantha looks forward to utilizing her dental training to increase access to oral healthcare and equipping women to be high-level leaders through her initiative, #GirlDocsRock. She will make history as the first doctor to ever compete at Miss USA in 2023.

MEET MISS WASHINGTON TEEN USA 2023

MACKENZIE KUIKEN

Mackenzie attends South Bend High School where she is a member of the Varsity Cheer, Volleyball, Basketball, and Track Teams. Mackenzie is a member of the National Honor Society and is the Social Media Manager for Key Club. Mackenzie’s platform, “Girls with Game”, focuses on the importance of physical and mental health through encouraging girls to get involved in sports, clubs, and the arts. Mackenzie’s future career aspirations are to become a sports physical therapist.