Miss America 2021: Miss Alaska crowned, Emma Broyles, a "real" girl who suffers from OCD and ADHD

Miss America 2022 already has a winner: Emma Broyles, also known as Miss Alaska, received the title on Thursday, capping the famed competition's 100th annual event.

Broyle's victory marks Alaska's first Miss America title in history. Lauren Bradford (Miss Alabama) was the first runner-up, while Elizabeth Pierre (Miss Massachusetts) received the second title.

For the talent part, she performed the song “Let Me Be Your Star” from the television series Smash. Broyles was also able to stand out thanks to her vulnerability in the final round of interviews.

During her interview on stage, Broyles shared, “I want to show people that I'm like everyone else. I think people tend to put the titleholders of Miss America and Miss America on this pedestal."

Broyles was also candid about her mental health during her interview, saying, “I'm real. I have defects. I have ADHD. I have dermatillomania, which is a form of OCD. I have struggled with all these things and because of that I am a better person. During COVID, it was an incredibly difficult time for me, being isolated in my college dorm for so long. It was at that moment when I hit rock bottom that I realized that it could be so much more than that.”

Now that she has received medication and been in support groups, Broyles said, "I've been able to find my true self." And she told fans, "A lot of people don't recognize that their low points are what will propel them into their future."

Fifty women from across the United States (every state and Washington, DC were represented except Maine, whose nominee withdrew after testing positive for COVID-19) competed for the title of Miss America 2022 and the $435,000 scholarship, including a sum of $100,000 that went directly to the winner.