Ameera Hashwi Becomes First Hijabi to Win Miss Wayne County Title

Ameera Hashwi, a 25-year-old law school graduate from Michigan, has made history by becoming the first woman wearing a hijab to win the Miss Wayne County title in Dearborn Heights, a Muslim-majority suburb of Detroit known for its large Arab and Middle Eastern community.

Hashwi’s victory is more than a personal achievement; it is a milestone for representation and inclusion in the world of beauty pageants. With this title, she now moves forward to compete in the Miss Michigan pageant, and possibly the Miss America competition, a platform that has been shaping cultural narratives for over a century.

“Hello, my name is Ameera. My service initiative is Step Up and Serve, and I am your new… Miss Wayne County,” Hashwi said in an Instagram post.

Her chosen platform, Step Up and Serve, focuses on encouraging physical fitness while empowering communities through acts of service. According to the Miss America Organization, contestants must champion a social impact initiative throughout their reign, and for Hashwi, this mission blends advocacy and action.

Her cultural identity was front and center during the competition. For her on-stage talent performance, Hashwi delivered a powerful rendition of the Arabic classic Koul Chi Aam Yekhlass by Majida El Roumi. The song’s title translates to “Everything Is Ending,” reflecting on life’s fleeting nature, dreams, and love, deep themes that resonated with the audience.

Lauren Mroczek, Miss Greater Kalamazoo 2025, praised Hashwi in a heartfelt Instagram post, writing: “Ameera, you are a groundbreaker and change maker!! Even though I just met you this weekend, I know you have a heart full of love for Wayne County, and you will be such a bright light! Your smile and heart are contagious!”

Hashwi’s journey to the crown began long before the pageant stage. She graduated from Wayne State University Law School in May 2024 after beginning her law studies in 2021. “I am honored to have been sworn in by the Honorable Judge David D. Turfe, with Dana E. Fraser serving as my sponsoring attorney,” she shared on LinkedIn. “Passing the Uniform Bar Exam with a score high enough to qualify for practice in any UBE jurisdiction marks a truly rewarding milestone.”

Before law school, Hashwi studied economics and history at Wayne State starting in 2017, where she actively engaged in leadership roles. She served as President of the History Club, Social Media Manager for the Lebanese Student Association, and Director of Community Affairs for the Student Senate.

Now, the Miss Wayne County title offers more than recognition; it provides a scholarship opportunity and a platform to advocate for causes close to her heart. The Miss America Organization, once criticized for its narrow beauty standards, has recently embraced diversity and inclusion, creating space for women like Hashwi to break barriers.

While she is the first woman to win this title wearing a hijab, she follows in the footsteps of Halima Aden, who nearly a decade ago became the first contestant to wear a hijab and burkini throughout the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. 

Aden reflected on that moment during a time of heightened anti Muslim sentiment in the U.S.: “It just makes me that more proud, because Donald Trump came to Minneapolis, and he talked about Somali-Americans, and how it was our fault that things weren’t going right in the community. And how as president, he would make sure that our people weren’t integrated into communities without other people’s approval. That just made me really sad because America was founded on differences.”

Aden added, “We need to remember where everyone came from. Unless you’re Native American, your great-great-great-grandparents came here for the same purpose as me they came to seek greater life regardless of religion. So we should never forget that.”