birth_place title name nationalcompetition article_title birth_name
tacoma , washington , u.s. miss washington 1998 , miss arizona usa 2005 mariana loya miss america 1999 , miss usa 2005 mariana loya
 mariana loya
mariana loya

mariana loya -lrb- born 1979 -rrb- is a beauty queen who has competed at both miss america and miss usa .
loya , who previously lived in tacoma , washington won her first state pageant title in 1998 , when she competed as miss pierce county and won the miss washington title .
she represented washington in the miss america 1999 pageant , but failed to place .
the pageant was won by nicole johnson who represented virginia -rsb- .
at this time loya was pursuing a materials science and engineering degree from the university of washington .
in 2003 , loya 's family moved to the army base at ft. huachuca , arizona where her father , chaplain juan loya , retired as a colonel .
this residency allowed her to compete in the miss arizona usa 2005 pageant , which she won in late 2004 .
loya failed to make the cut at the miss usa 2005 pageant held in baltimore , maryland on 11 april 2005 , which was won by chelsea cooley of north carolina .
loya , successful academic in the field of engineering , was the highest qualified delegate in the miss usa 2005 pageant , having won a full phd fellowship for a materials science engineering degree at the university of california , san diego .
she was in her first year of doctorate study at the time of the pageant .
in 2000 she was named `` national student role model of the year '' by the society of hispanic professional engineers .
loya 's other interests include swing and salsa dancing , hiking outdoors , playing the violin , church events , and traveling .
in november 2005 , loya passed on her miss arizona usa crown to brenna sakas of chandler .
