Rima Fakih’s road to becoming Miss USA began when she sold her car to support her childhood
dream to enter the Miss Michigan USA pageant. Fakih won the state title and, on May 16,
2010, the 24-year-old won the national title of Miss USA as she was crowned at Planet
Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fakih was born in Sour, Lebanon and immigrated to Queens, New York in 1993. She graduated
from St. John’s Preparatory School in 2003 at the age of 17. After graduation, Fakih moved to
Dearborn, Michigan and began a mentoring program to provide children with caring adult role
models.

Fakih continued to give back to her community while attending the University of Michigan, where
she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, with a minor in Business Administration.
Active in campus life, Fakih served her fellow students as class senator and president of Students
in Free Enterprise (SIFE). She also spent time volunteering for various community organizations.
As ambassador of the Pink Fund, a financial assistance organization, Fakih is dedicated to
helping remove the short-term financial burden from breast cancer patients. As Miss Michigan
USA 2010, Fakih served as one of the first official pageant ambassadors for women’s self-
defense awareness, educating women on the importance of taking the necessary precautionary
measures to best protect and prepare themselves from unwanted situations.

As Miss USA, Fakih is a spokeswoman for breast and ovarian cancer education, research and
legislation - a platform that is close to her heart. She will travel nationwide as an advocate for
organizations such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Gilda’s Club, among others.

When Fakih manages to find free time in her busy schedule, she enjoys traveling, running,
dancing and spending time with her younger brother. She especially enjoys playing sports and
watching the NFL, particularly the NY Giants. After her reign, Fakih plans to attend law school
and contribute to the Service Nation campaign, an initiative that aims to inspire a new era of
voluntary citizen service in America.

The MISS UNIVERSE®, MISS USA® and MISS TEEN USA® pageants are a Donald J. Trump and
NBC Universal joint venture. Utilizing its nationwide grass roots infrastructure, the Miss Universe
Organization is committed to increasing awareness of breast and ovarian cancers by forging
relationships with organizations committed to research and education, such as Susan G. Komen
for the Cure and Gilda's Club. For more information, visit: www.missusa.com.