Meet Jacqueline Means, Miss Philadelphia 2023
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia crowned a new queen this past weekend. Jaqueline Means was crowned Miss Philadelphia 2023 at Lincoln University.
CBS Philadelphia caught up with Means to hear about that life-changing moment when her name was called.
"It's so surreal when that happens because your heart is pumping and you can feel the blood and hear the blood in your ears because you're just so nervous," Means said.
Means says while she was still so shocked, she immediately felt a sense of pure happiness wash over her on that stage.
The University of Delaware student said when it comes to future goals, the immediate would be getting through physics and organic chemistry.
Our new Miss Philadelphia is a medical diagnostics and neuroscience student at the University of Delaware.
Once she passes her core science courses, she dreams of attending medical school at Thomas Jefferson University to become a pediatric neurosurgeon.
Means says she's a self-proclaimed nerd with a love of science experiments, blowing things up and figuring out the chemistry behind that reactions.
Her passion for STEM and working with children led her to get involved in the subject eight years ago when she founded, the Girls Empower STEM Initiative.
"I am a woman in STEM, when I had those classes, physics, organic chemistry, anatomy, all those different ones, I'm often times the only woman in those classes," Means said. "The only Black person in those classes. Or the only Black woman in those classes. It can be so disheartening to see that."
Means hopes that with her initiative and new title, she'll be able to forge a path to make it easier for future generations of girls to break into STEM.
"Oftentimes, we just have to bring our own seat to the table. That's all it is," Means said. "We have to make our own space."
CBS Philadelphia sends a warm congratulations to our new Miss Philadelphia 2023.