When Muna Ali graced the stage at the Ames Center on June 23 during the State Pageant Finals of the Miss Minnesota USA 2024 contest, she had no idea that her years of dedicated hard work would culminate in her literal crowning moment when she was named Miss Minnesota USA.
Born in Rome, Italy, and raised in Minneapolis, Muna’s path to becoming Miss Minnesota USA was winding, filled with opportunities for growth and the ability to express her passions on such a large platform.
As the first in her family to graduate college, Muna pursued a career in the healthcare field to give back to her community. She graduated as a pre-med major, wanting to become a clinical therapist or physician’s assistant. However, she became interested in opening her own business and having alternative ways to encourage healthy lifestyle choices.
Prior to graduating, Muna launched a vending machine business where people could purchase healthy snacks. She learned as she went and could scale her business as her list of clients and locations grew.
Unfortunately, she had to take a break and pivot from the business due to the pandemic and the closure of many schools and businesses. Despite this setback, Muna discovered her passion for entrepreneurship and was encouraged by the successes she experienced in the venture.
Growing up, Muna’s mother treated her colds and illnesses with herbal holistic medicine, which she cherished in their relationship. Over time, Muna’s friends and peers became interested in her holistic practice and asked questions about the products she used, especially her use of nutrient-dense sea moss gels, which took off as a side business of hers.
“I was taking sea moss a lot. I would post it, and everybody would ask me about it constantly. And I ended up saying, ‘You know what? I’m going to turn this into a business,’ and the first year did very, very well,” she said.
Muna saw the requests increasing and quickly worked to keep up with demand. She took many lessons from that venture and hopes to pursue it at a larger scale once she puts more infrastructure in place to meet the demands that she experienced.
Outside of her passions for business and health, Muna has also done charitable work and sees this newly awarded platform as Miss Minnesota USA as an opportunity to spotlight organizations that are making change on the ground.
Years ago, Muna’s friend Leo Jameson founded an organization called Educare Haiti, which aimed to serve the needs of young orphans in Haiti. Having expressed interest in his work, Muna was invited to travel to the country and do work alongside Jameson and his team. The opportunity was life-changing for Muna and instilled in her a sense of duty and commitment to the cause.
“I went, and it was honestly one of the best things that I’ve ever done,” she said. “It was just a really great experience to feel like I’m helping in some way, shape or form. That’s why this platform is very important to me. I want to use it on a bigger scale to be able to speak on this and spread the word.”
Looking forward, Muna expressed her enthusiasm for what this moment offers. In the next few weeks, she will prepare for the national competition to be Miss USA.
However, in reflecting on her journey, Muna shared that she was glad she stuck with her pageant aspirations all these years later. This was her fifth year competing, only taking the previous year off; she had returned to the pageant consecutively year after year, determined to be crowned Miss Minnesota USA one day.
“I’m honestly just really happy that I stayed consistent and I didn’t give up. I also want that to be an example for other people,” she said.
As she continues down the path toward competing for Miss USA, Muna looks forward to her duties as Miss Minnesota as she prepares for community events and engagements where she can continue to spotlight the causes and efforts she holds close, such as healthy eating and holistic medical practices.
“There will be charity work and all different kinds of events, and I’ll get to be a part of the community and hands-on,” she said. “I want to be an example to women or to everyone in general that you can come from nothing and follow your dreams. Obviously, it takes time; you must put in the work and the energy, but it is possible,” she said.