Since the commencement of the Miss Intercontinental pageant in 1971, Amber Corbett, a New York resident, has been chosen to represent the United States this year.
According to The Villager, the 23-year-old received her crown and sash from Katherine McQuade, Miss 2023 of the United States of America.
Corbett revealed that when she heard the wonderful news, she gasped and burst into tears because she recognized how much the triumph meant to her community. Winning the trophy felt like she was already breaking through a glass ceiling.
“My grandmother came from a really small town in Alabama, where when she was growing up, she could only go to the doctor on certain days,” Corbett shared. “So to be able to be the first black Miss Intercontinental USA, I was beside myself.”
Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
Despite describing herself as a shy child, Corbett attended her first pageant at the age of 11 when her mother, Tiffany, read an article on pageants and how they helped boost a person’s confidence.
The marketing coordinator for NBCUniversal Peacock and Scripted Development Division’s ad sales admitted, “I just fell in love with pageantry.” Corbett went on to say that it later evolved into a mother-daughter activity for her and her mother.
She founded the support platform “She’s Represented” to leverage on her exposure to encourage diversity and representation both in front of and behind the camera. Women of color in corporate America can use the resource to network, get help, and relax.
Tiffany Summerville, Corbett’s mother, showed satisfaction in her daughter’s accomplishments.
Summerville, who is also a Global Vice President and the Head of Human Resources for a biotech company, admitted that juggling work, family, school, the honor roll, and pageantry was difficult; nonetheless, she stated that it was worthwhile.
“The return on the investment has been priceless. For her to be able to represent folks that look like her, young girls that look like her. You can’t be what you don’t see,” she said.
Corbett graduated from Pace University in May of last year with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in advertising and integrated marketing communications and a minor in digital marketing.
Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
As a result of her government service, she has received two President Obama Volunteer Service Awards, and she has also volunteered for a variety of charitable organizations, including the Andrus Foundation and the People Connect Foundation.
She has also held the titles of Miss Galaxy NY 2021, Miss Galaxy NY Teen 2015, Miss Earth NY Teen 2015, Miss United States NY Jr Teen 2015, and IJM Junior Teen 2015.
The Miss Intercontinental competition will be held in October 2023, and the winner will be named Miss “POWER OF BEAUTY,” according to Black Enterprise.