Not just another pretty face, Fakih, from Dearborn, Michigan, won over 40 competitors in her field. She holds a double major in Economics and Business Management.
"Current Miss Michigan Rima Fakih is a non-traditional titleholder. She's an Arab-American, the daughter of Lebanese immigrants. She's maintained three jobs over the course of the last year on top of performing Miss Michigan duties, and she's the farthest thing from a girly-girl," noted the Arab Detroit.
Fakih, who was unavailable for an interview with Arab News because she's in the midst of competition for the Miss USA title, previously held the title of Miss Lebanon USA. An ardent supporter of Arabic community events and various charity causes. In college, Fakih spent a lot of her time volunteering as a social worker through various community organizations. She champions the importance of self-confidence, health awareness and education for young women.
Born in New York, Fakih, 24, was raised in Dearborn with her parents and her younger brother, Rami. She plans to start law school at the conclusion of her stint as 2010 Miss Michigan USA.
Fakih is an advocate for breast and ovarian cancer awareness, the official causes of the pageant, and serves 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.
In her spare time, Fakih enjoys running, dancing, kickboxing, the outdoors and spending time with her family, friends and, most of all, her younger brother.
She told reporters that she grew up as a tomboy, and never imagined that she would compete in a beauty pageant. Her mother, she said, used to "beg me to wear dresses and makeup."
She said her parents were her biggest fans when she decided to enter the pageant.
Fakih said she hopes that her position will help break some of the negative stereotypes about Arab-Americans. She wants to "show the world that there are Arabs who are beautiful, not only in looks but also on the inside. There are Arabs that are caring, that are good people, and who love the country they live in."
But, she said, she also wants to be seen for who she is: "I want them to see that I am proud of who I am, but I also want them to see me for more than my background. I want them to see that I have beauty, that I have the brains to do this job well, but also that I am real, from inside out. My body is real- never been changed. My hair is real, never been dyed. I am as real as it gets!"
For more information about Fakih, visit
www.missmichiganusa.com/michiganusa.html
