SPOKANE, Wash. — Miss Washington's journey into the Miss America Organization started when she was 14 years old.
Nine years later, Danamarie McNicholl-Carter is in Atlantic City competing for the title of Miss America.
McNicholl-Carter is no stranger to Eastern Washington. She is a former news reporter for KREM 2 and a Gonzaga University alumna.
She was crowned Miss Washington in July after competing alongside 25 other women.
McNicholl-Carter is a dedicated musician who has played the piano for a great deal of her life. She also has a passion for disability advocacy, which became her Miss Washington platform: Embracing America's Disabled. She believes that everyone deserves the same opportunities to play sports and be an athlete, and has worked with ParaSport Spokane throughout her time in the city.
The Miss America Competition will be broadcasted live on Sept. 9 from the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
McNicholl-Carter said on the Miss Washington Marie McNicholl-Carter Facebook page that she is "having a blast and soaking up every second."
For more information about the Miss Washington Organization and how to get involved, click here.