“Empowered women empower women,” a famous anonymous quote that Crown Point High School science teacher, Ashley Cosme, embodies.

Cosme won Mrs. Indiana and went on to run for Mrs. American: a ten day competition in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past August.

“My platform was girls in STEM, and that was also my platform for Mrs. American. I traveled around the state of Indiana working with girl scout troops,” Cosme said.

Cosme has recently traveled the state of Indiana facilitating programs for young girls to learn about the scientific community.

“I would say other female scientists inspire me. When I see them on Instagram or social media doing something awesome, or when I see a little female like me pull up a twelve foot shark and tag it and manhandle it, or a female flying a plane, it just shows us that we can do everything a man can do. We can survive and persevere in male dominated fields,” Cosme said.

Cosme is also a student pilot, a fossil hunter, and works to tag sharks and sea turtles for research, alongside being a full time teacher and mother.

Everyday, she aims to encourage young girls to follow their dreams. By being a working mother, a beauty queen, and a scientist, Cosme is t

ruly showing women of all ages that they can do anything they set their minds to.