The former Miss New York is the 98th woman to hold the prestigious national pageant title
By: Zoey Lyttle
April 13, 2026
In her role as Miss America 2026, Cassie Donegan has spent over half a year traveling nonstop, constantly meeting new people and showing up for events of all kinds, but her battery isn’t drained yet!
Donegan, 28, took a pause from her work as a theater star to pursue pageant success, first at the New York state level, then at the prestigious national event last summer. The actress and singer was crowned Miss America on stage at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 7, 2025.
It wouldn’t be totally accurate to say she “took home” the prize (or rather, prizes: a crown, sash and $50,000 in tuition scholarship money). The very idea of home rapidly evolved after Donegan became the 98th woman to hold the Miss America title, as she immediately got busy touring the country for speaking engagements, philanthropic opportunities and even some singing gigs, like when she performed the national anthem at the Daytona 500 race.
It’s a busy — albeit exciting — time for Donegan, and she tells PEOPLE most of her time is spent in transit. “A lot of days consist of a lot of travel, so plane, train, automobiles, all of it. We are in them all. A lot of airport time, and a lot of go, go, go,” she says. “Unless it’s a five- or six-hour-long event, it’s rare that we have one thing in a day … Usually at minimum, it’s about two things a day.”
The average day, she says, might include “a brunch in the morning and a gala at night,” and the focus of each event is never the same. Donegan is always learning something new, which is exactly what she loves to do. “I’ve always said if I could be a student forever, I would,” she notes.
But in between all of those opportunities to soak up knowledge, how does Donegan manage to keep up with her ceaseless schedule? She credits that ability to her entertainment industry experience.
“I am used to living out of a suitcase or being on a plane all the time, going contract to contract or performance opportunity, so I think I’m a little bit more conditioned to that than some of our previous Miss Americas have been,” she tells PEOPLE.
“Some days, am I exhausted? 100%. Absolutely. There are some 10-hour days where I’d get home, and I was like, ‘What are words? I don’t know how to be human right now,'” she jokes. “Your brain just goes to mush, but your heart is so full at the same time, so it’s worth it.”
Plus, she emphasizes just how lucky she feels to have people supporting her in the various ways required when away from home for so long.
“I have three dogs, and so I have so many wonderful people who refuse to let me pay them to come and watch my dogs,” Donegan shares. “I will literally have one of my best friends, Megan, text me all the time and say, ‘How are we doing today? Do we need a body double just to get laundry done on the 24 hours that you’re home?'”
Come September, when it’s time to crown her successor, Donegan will probably be ready to “sleep for 72 hours straight,” she admits, “but right now I’m still riding the high.”
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About Miss America
Miss America’s mission is Empowering Women to Lead with Purpose as the nation’s premier empowerment platform for young women. Founded in 1921, the iconic Miss America program is also America’s largest provider of tuition-only scholarship awards for women, distributing all scholarships through the Miss America’s Scholarship Foundation Inc. a tax-exempt nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.