Hannah Maya Karki is an 18-year-old first year at the University of Vermont. She will be majoring in music education and minoring in psychology in hopes of becoming a music teacher and music therapist. Hannah is passionate about advocating for mental health practices in middle school classrooms, as she has a mental health journey of her own. At the age of 14, she created her nonprofit organization Safe Space Suicide Prevention, a platform that fundraises via a T-shirt drive and provides mental health resources to anyone in need. During her time as a teacher’s assistant, she recognized a need for kids to explore their feelings and mental health experiences in a safe academic environment.

Using Safe Space as a springboard and her position as an educator, she started advocating for mental health practices to be implemented in classrooms throughout New England. Now, as the reigning Teen Petite USA, Hannah plans to use the national title to expand Safe Space and implore school administrations to implement better mental health practices in classrooms across the country. In her spare time, Hannah loves to sing and perform onstage, play instruments, adventure around New England, and jam out to the latest Taylor Swift album!

Victoria is the 21-year-old proud founder and owner of Victorious Endeavors, a life coaching
business she launched in 2019. Since then, she has had the privilege of assisting thousands of individuals worldwide in transforming their lives, achieving their goals, and embracing their worth. Her tagline,
"Walking in Your Worth," encourages individuals to step into their lives with confidence and grace.

In addition to running her business, Victoria is completing an online B.A. degree in Enterprise and Leadership at the University of lowa.

She also freelances in social media marketing for various companies and is a manager and bartender at Harper's Restaurant and Brewpub, a popular venue in downtown East Lansing, Michigan. In her free time, she enjoys various activities such as thrifting and sewing clothing, doing hair and makeup, fishing, and riding four-wheelers. She also treasures spending quality time with her friends, family, and adored pets.

Angelica Smith is a 5-foot-1 ball of energy and a '90s millennial who loves sunsets! Originally from Red Springs, North Carolina, Angelica now resides in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Science and Fitness Management with a concentration in Business Administration from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in the spring of 2014. During her time in college, she was Senior Class Queen, a student leader, a dancer for the university's drumline, and, in 2013, became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Angelica began her career as an Event Coordinator for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics with the Aggie Athletic Foundation. Six years later, she transitioned to Norfolk State University, where she served as the Director of Marketing and Corporate Sponsorships for Athletics. Currently, Angelica is the Manager of Campus Marketing and Engagement with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, where she travels across the country to multiple Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), spreading awareness about scholarships, internships, and professional development opportunities provided by her organization.

During her travels, Angelica also plans to spread awareness of her platform: "Stature Does Not Determine Strength," encouraging all women to know that regardless of your size, you are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to. She is committed to challenging societal stereotypes and promoting inclusivity, ensuring that individuals of all sizes are celebrated for their contributions and valued for their capabilities.

In her spare time, Angelica loves to create content for social media, try French toast or sushi from new restaurants, and explore the city. She lives vicariously through Beyoncé and is a strong advocate of treating everyone with kindness and respect.

LaFaye Noel, 41, is a trailblazer as the first black woman in 10 years to hold her title and the first to identify as part of the LGBT community. She is a wife & mother of four children: Originally from New Boston, Texas, LaFaye now resides in Arlington, Texas.

She is a sexual assault survivor, Presidential Service award recipient and a Director of Community Engagement, passionately advocating for her platform, Scars2Stars, which provides resources for those facing their own challenges. She received her honors Bachelor’s Degree with concentrations in Psychology, Sociology and Counseling from the University of Memphis.

Her favorite color is pink, she has traveled to several countries and she lives by the quote,"It's nice to be important but more important to be nice."

Dr. Amy Jo Payne, 52, is the first-ever Kentuckian to hold a Petite USA title. Amy Jo received a doctorate degree in clinical social work from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She is also a graduate of the University of Louisville’s Kent School of Social Work (MSSW, ’02) and Eastern Kentucky University (’96, ’93).

Professionally, Amy Jo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) for the Veterans Health Administration. As a mental health therapist, she provides lifesaving suicide prevention treatment to our nation’s veteran population. Additionally, she is specialty trained in evidence-based therapies designed to treat PTSD, complex trauma, and prolonged grief.

Amy Jo’s platform, Turning It Up Green, increases awareness, advocacy, and education surrounding Bile Duct Cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma). The movement is a dedication to her late mother, Joan, lost her battle with this incredibly fatal cancer in 2016.

In her free time, Amy Jo enjoys spending time with her pup daughter, Emmy, along with horseback riding, cheering on her favorite sports teams, landscape photography, and traveling to different countries to learn about different cultures.