ATSU-SOMA student crowned Miss Mesa 2026
Posted: October 22, 2025
A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) student Helen Dang, OMS II, has been crowned Miss Mesa 2026. She will represent the city in the Miss Arizona pageant next June, the state-level preliminary to the Miss America competition.
As Miss Mesa, Dang will lead her community service initiative, “Advocacy and Action for the Houseless,” uniting her osteopathic medical student training and passion for service to address healthcare disparities among unhoused populations.
“Pageantry has given me the courage to bring my story of medicine and service to the stage – to show that the white coat and the crown can coexist as symbols of compassion, purpose, and advocacy,” she said.
For Dang, the opportunity to participate in the Miss America pageant represents her desire for growth, not just as a titleholder, but as a future physician and community advocate.
“As a first-generation, low-income medical student, I’ve learned that growth comes from stepping outside of your comfort zone and bringing your story to spaces where it can make a difference,” she said.
Dang’s initiative will focus on bridging healthcare gaps for unhoused individuals through harm reduction, outreach, and education. At ATSU, she serves as co-president of the Harm Reduction Club and co-director of HRREACH (Harm Reduction, Education, Advocacy in Community Health), and also serves as a street medicine volunteer with Circle the City, bringing medical care directly to those living on the streets.
In preparation for the Miss Arizona pageant, Dang said she is developing her vocals for the talent competition, training through #MissAmericaFit workouts, and refining her public speaking skills for interviews and on-stage questions.
“For me, preparing for Miss Arizona isn’t just about competition, it’s about embodying the values I stand for as a future physician, a compassionate advocate, and a servant leader dedicated to building healthier, more equitable communities across Arizona,” she said.
