From Pit to Pageant - Mining Engineer to Run for Miss Nevada USA

Mining engineer and wildland firefighter Ruby B. Johnson wants to add another title to her résumé: Miss Nevada USA. Representing northeastern Nevada as Miss Elko County, Johnson plans to compete for the designation at the Miss Nevada USA pageant in Las Vegas on Jan. 7. “It’s very unconventional to have a mining engineer in a pageant,” Johnson said. A win in the Nevada contest would mean competing for Miss USA and possibly Miss Universe. The last time a Nevadan won the Miss USA crown was 2014, but no Nevada winner has won the top title in the program’s 66-year history.

“I feel it is time for the Battle Born State,” Johnson said. Nevada winners are rare, as are contestants from outside of the Las Vegas area. Johnson said she hopes to change that while shining a spotlight on the state’s mining industry and women in engineering. “It’s a wonderful mining state,” she said, “and it’s a wonderful place to be a mining engineer.”

Read the full article on Elko Daily Free Press