![Miss Minnesota USA Muslim Contestant Miss Minnesota USA Muslim Contestant](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/halima-aden.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
Halima Aden made history over the weekend by wearing a burkini and hijab during the Miss Minnesota USA pageant.
The competition saw a series of firsts from the 19-year-old, who became the first fully-covered Muslim woman in the contest, and the first contestant to wear the burkini during Sunday’s semi-final swimsuit round. The teenager, who was born in a refugee camp in Kenya before moving to the U.S. at the age of six, did not win the pageant, but she told CBS that she hopes her participation helped combat misconceptions about Islam.
“For a really long time I thought being different was a negative thing. But as I grew older, I started to realize we are all born to stand out, nobody is born to blend in,” Aden told CBS. “How boring would this world be if everyone was the same?”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Breaking Down the 2024 Election Calendar
- How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
- What if Ultra-Processed Foods Aren’t as Bad as You Think?
- How Ukraine Beat Russia in the Battle of the Black Sea
- Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
- How Project 2025 Would Jeopardize Americans’ Health
- What a $129 Frying Pan Says About America’s Eating Habits
- The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024
Contact us at letters@time.com