Aryana Bosh, right, smiles for a photo with family. Bosh, a Jacksonville High School graduate, has been named Miss Black Texas 2023.

An East Texas woman has been named Miss Black Texas 2023 and will travel to Washington D.C. next year to compete for Miss Black USA.

Aryana Bosh, 23, graduated from Jacksonville High School in 2017 before going on to Kilgore College where she served as a Ranger Ambassador and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa.

After graduating from Kilgore College in 2019, Bosh graduated Magna Cum Laude from University of North Texas.

Bosh is currently a Doctor of Occupational Therapy student at Texas Woman’s University.

Bosh’s journey to Miss Black USA began by being named Miss Black Denton.

“I saw an ad to sign up for a chance to be a part of the Miss Black USA organization in November of 2021. I signed up expecting to not hear back for a while but I heard back within a week,” Bosh said. “From there, there was a series of interviews and after that the organization awarded me the Miss Black Denton title.”

After receiving the title Miss Black Denton, Bosh was informed there would be a Miss Black Texas pageant coming up in Dallas. Due to the uptick in COVID-19 cases, the organization decided to make the pageant virtual.

“The virtual pageant was held on Aug. 29 and everyone who was in the top 10 participated,” Bosh said. “At the end of night, the organization contacted me by email and informed me that I was chosen by the panelists to be Miss Black Texas.”

Bosh said being named Miss Black Texas, which requires representatives to create a platform they are passionate about, was a dream come true.

“It feels like a dream come true being Miss Black Texas USA 2023. It makes me feel so fulfilled that I am in a position to give back to the community and advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves,” she said. “I have received so much support and love that, it overwhelms me and I am forever grateful.”

“My platform is Commitment to Hope where I advocate and provide assistance to the homeless population,” Bosh added. “My goal is to not only create change for those who are homeless but to also make my loved ones proud.”

Bosh said she is grateful to the Miss Black USA organization for allowing women of color to represent their local region and ultimately the USA.

“Miss Black USA benefits young women and girls of color in so many ways. This organization has ambitious, intelligent women of color represent their state or local region and this will help show young Black girls and women that you can be anything you want to be while still pursuing other dreams,” she said.

“I, at first, was nervous about balancing graduate school and holding a state title but seeing the other women in the organization do phenomenal jobs balancing everything along with holding a title made me feel better about juggling multiple responsibilities,” Bosh continued.

In August of 2023, Bosh will travel to Washington D.C. to compete in the Miss Black USA pageant which will be televised on Fox Soul.

The Miss Black USA Organization is the first and largest scholarship pageant for women of color, awarding over $500,000 in scholarships. The pageant empowers women to own their power and celebrates their unique talents, traits and beauty. Miss Black USA defines her own standard of beauty and celebrates the whole women, mind, body and spirit, all shades of brown, hair texture and size.

Follow Bosh’s journey on Instagram at @arymonet.