Athenna Crosby crowned Miss World America at beauty pageant organised by Punjab-origin couple in US
Athenna Crosby from California has been crowned Miss World America (MWA) and she will represent the US at the 72nd Miss World pageant in 2025.
The winner gets over 250,000 US dollars in an award package. Athenna was crowned by the current Miss World America Victoria Disorbo of Tennessee at the pageant held yesterday at Highline Performing Art Center, Seattle, Washington.
A Punjab-origin couple had retained the franchise to organise the Miss World America, a beauty pageant, for the second consecutive year.
Ekta, daughter of TR Sachdeva, a local farmer, and retired educationist Vijay Luxmi, and her husband Sanjay Saini of Ludhiana had taken the responsibility of organising the pageant for the first time last year. Ekta is the first Indian-American woman to become the national director of the pageant. The Saini couple’s daughter Shree Saini had won the contest and was the first runner-up in the Miss World pageant. Shree is the first Indian-American Miss World America to have served over 100 non-profit organisations.
Athenna said, “My wildest dream came true. So grateful to the Director of America's Miss World Ekta Saini. Thank you Ekta for everything. Thank you, Julia Morley Miss World organisation for this incredible opportunity. I have no words. Just gratitude and joy. And ugly crying. More words & a longer post coming soon”.
She is a multifaceted TV host, entertainment correspondent, actress and model based in Los Angeles, California. Leveraging the skills obtained from her Bachelor’s of Science in Communications from Utah Valley University, Athenna enjoys blending her diverse talents to contribute to the world of entertainment in her own unique way.
Athenna is known for her achievements in pageantry, holding the title of Miss California Teen USA 2016 and earning a Top-15 finalist spot at Miss Teen USA 2016. She was also placed in the Top-5 at Miss California USA in 2022 and 2023, and was 1st runner up to Miss World America 2023. Her pageant journey includes two “Miss Congeniality” awards, a testament to her warm and friendly nature.
Ekta Saini said, “Under the leadership of Julia Morley, who has raised and donated over 1.3 billion US dollars through her humanitarian initiatives, we continue our commitment to community service. As a socially driven pageant, we are committed to making the difference.”
