Crowning achievement

Southlake woman makes history as first U.S. immigrant to win Miss Texas

Annette Addo-Yobo was crowned Miss Texas 2024 by Ellie Breaux, Miss Texas 2023.

Facebook/Miss Texas 2023

Annette Addo-Yobo, a 26-year-old woman born in Ghana, was crowned Miss Texas 2024, becoming the first United States immigrant to earn the title.

Addo-Yobo represented Southlake in the statewide scholarship pageant, held Saturday, June 29 at the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson and broadcast on WFAA. She will now go on to compete in Miss America.

"I am humbled, honored, and grateful to serve as your 87th Miss Texas!," she posted on Instagram on June 30. "I made history last night as the first immigrant-born and first Ghanaian Miss Texas, and I hope to continue making history with the Texas community and the Miss Texas class."

Addo-Yobo’s family emigrated from the West African nation of Ghana in 1999, and she became a naturalized American just two years ago.

“My parents and I [immigrated] to the United States when I was just shy of two years old,” she writes in her bio on the Miss Southlake Instagram page. “We had two suitcases and a few hundred dollars. A few years later, my family of three turned to a family of 5, and we moved to Canada and lived there for eight years. In 2010, my parents made the decision to chase the American dream one more time and we moved to Texas.

“I didn’t become a U.S. Citizen until 2022, when I was 24 years old. I lost out on many opportunities as a teenager and college student because of my citizenship status, including competing in the Miss America Opportunity. But I’m grateful to be an American, thankful for the new opportunities..."

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After she gained U.S. citizenship, she competed in the 2023 Miss Texas pageant as Miss Dallas.

Addo-Yobo calls herself an “avid learner” who holds a bachelor of science in psychology and child learning & development with a minor in criminology from The University of Texas at Dallas and a master's in clinical psychology from Sam Houston State University. She also earned a certificate from the Lyndon B. Johnson Women’s Campaign School at the University of Texas at Austin. “I’m currently finishing my MBA at Lamar University and will begin law school in the fall,” her bio (published before she won Miss Texas) says.

As winner of Miss Texas, she will receive a $30,000 scholarship.

Addo-Yobo also is an autism advocate whose real-life experiences informed both her Miss Texas advocacy platform and her on-stage talent - performing a powerful self-written monologue about her brother’s autism journey.

“My younger brother, Andrew, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when I was about six years old. Since then, I have learned a lot about Autism and how to be an advocate,” she writes in her bio. “A dangerous and life-threatening wandering incident involving my brother led me to develop The SPARK Project, to include autism safety in the conversation of autism awareness.”

Addo-Yobo is also open about her personal mental health journey, recounting in a UTD alumni publication her struggles with depression exacerbated by the loss of her mother in recent years.

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Addo-Yobo was crowned Miss Texas wearing a stunning yellow evening gown with a cape, a nod to her homeland.

“Donning Yellow, Miss Southlake Annette is presenting a symbol of Prosperity,” the Miss Southlake organization posted on Instagram ahead of the final round. “Ghana is known as the Gold Coast, and in the triband flag of Ghana (🇬🇭), Gold symbolizes the mineral rich land prior to colonialism. Adorned in her yellow Sherri Hill Couture, Annette carries with her a rich and prosperous legacy of resilience as she strives to become the first immigrant-born Miss Texas.”

She beat out more than 50 other contestants from around the state and was crowned by Ellie Breaux, Miss Texas 2023, who came in first runner-up at the most recent Miss America.

“Annette, your path to this title was always clear, and I know you will wear that crown with so much poise and grace,” Breaux wrote on Facebook. “Your journey inspires countless others. Texas is truly fortunate to have you represent us, and I can’t wait to be there cheering you on at Miss America!”

Rounding out the top five at Miss Texas 2024 were:

First runner-up: Miss Space City, Chloe Burke
Second runner-up: Miss Southeast Texas, Anyssa Mujica
Third runner-up: Miss Plano, Sadie Schiermeyer
Fourth runner-up: Miss Burleson, Nicole Wingard

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Giving Unmasked

Dallas arts lovers go incognito to TACA's inaugural Masquerade gala

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Maura Sheffler, Shakespeare Dallas actor, Purvi Patel, Bill Albers, Shakespeare Dallas actor.

The inaugural TACA Masquerade, presented by The Eugene McDermott Foundation, transformed The Bomb Factory in Deep Ellum into a vibrant celebration of Dallas’ performing arts community, marking a powerful new chapter in TACA’s mission to fuel a thriving arts ecosystem.

With nearly 250 guests, performers, artists, and volunteers in attendance at the late November event, the evening blended immersive performance, culinary indulgence, and philanthropic impact, raising more than $275,000 in support of TACA’s work across North Texas.

Chaired by Purvi and Bill Albers, the gala embraced its “Masquerade” theme by inviting guests to don extravagant masks while they moved through a multi-sensory experience where performances unfolded throughout the venue.

Rather than a traditional stage-and-seating format, the night showcased Dallas’ extraordinary artistic depth through a lineup of featured performers and "Behind the Masque" artists, allowing attendees to encounter art up close and in unexpected ways.

The evening featured compelling performances and artistic moments from Avant Chamber Ballet, Pegasus Contemporary Ballet, KNOwBox Dance, Verdigris Ensemble, Rosana Eckert Jazz Quartet, Joel Olivas, Echo Theatre, Firehouse Theatre, Kitchen Dog Theater, Shakespeare Dallas, Teatro Dallas, Theatre Three, and collaborators from Cedars Union, The Dallas Opera, and more. Together, these artists represented the breadth of disciplines that define Dallas’ cultural landscape, from dance and theater to music and interdisciplinary performance, reinforcing TACA’s role as a connector and catalyst for creative excellence.

In addition to ticket sales and sponsorships, fundraising efforts were amplified through the Behind the Masque Campaign and a highly anticipated raffle featuring exclusive arts experiences generously donated by Dallas cultural institutions.

Guests vied for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that included a private behind-the-scenes tour of the Nasher Sculpture Center, a VIP experience for MOMIX: Botanica, and a Christmas Pops guest conductor experience with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Other standout offerings included a sneak peek at an opening-night experience for Ragtime at Dallas Theater Center, a two-night stay at Hall Arts Hotel paired with tickets to the “Constellations” exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art, VIP box seats for The Dallas Opera’s The Little Prince at the Winspear Opera House, and an intimate voiceover lesson and recording session with Dallas Children’s Theater.

Additional experiences ranged from an after-hours gallery gathering at Dallas Contemporary and a behind-the-scenes dance experience with Bruce Wood Dance Dallas to a Blue Man Group experience for eight at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

Complementing the artistic energy was an elevated culinary experience that encouraged guests to mingle and explore. Food stations offered such delectable options as red wine-braised short rib with mascarpone polenta, zucchini noodle puttanesca, deconstructed chicken cordon bleu, and indulgent warm chocolate chip cookie and brownie skillets that ended the evening on a sweet note.

It was clear that Dallas' arts supporters did not want to mask their financial support: The event raised more than $275,000 to further TACA's mission of fueling a vibrant arts community.

With plans already underway to return next fall at The Bomb Factory, the inaugural Masquerade set the tone for what promises to become a signature event.

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Maura Sheffler, Shakespeare Dallas actor, Purvi Patel, Bill Albers, Shakespeare Dallas actor.

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