On Sunday, June 8, Miss Nevada Nia Sanchez won the coveted first place crown at the 2014 Miss USA pageant.

Held at the Baton Rouge River Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the 24-year-old beauty queen beat out 50 other contestants at the 63rd Miss USA contest, making her the first Miss USA winner to represent the Silver State.

Sanchez was born in Sacramento, California, on Feb. 16, 1990, and moved to Nevada after her parents divorced when she was 7 years old. She lived between Washington and California while she was growing up, and at one point during her childhood, she lived in a Las Vegas women's shelter with her mother for two months, Philly.com reported.  

After high school, Sanchez traveled overseas and worked as a nanny in Europe. Later on she landed a role as a princess at Disneyland in Hong Kong and worked as a full time model for the last seven years, according to MissUniverse.com

However, the former Miss Nevada is far from a dainty princess in real life. According to The Associated Press, she studied taekwondo for 12 years and is also a fourth-degree black belt. She also holds strong beliefs in teaching women self-defense and is bringing awareness to the issue.

During the question-and-answer segment of the Miss USA competition, Sanchez answered judge Rumer Willis' question about the high rate of sexual assaults on college campuses. Willis, the 25-year-old daughter of actors Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, stated that 19 percent of U.S. undergraduate women are victims of sexual assault and asked Sanchez why she thinks the issue is not highly publicized and how to reduce the rate.

In response, Sanchez said women need to take it on themselves to learn how to defend themselves.

She has also volunteered at women's shelters, teaching residents how to defend themselves and children about "stranger danger."

"I relate to them on a personal level because I've been there myself," she said and added that she plans to use her platform as Miss USA to spread knowledge about martial arts.

Sanchez, who is currently dating "Hannah Montana" actor Daniel Booko, also said she was "so proud to bring the title of Miss USA back to Nevada."

"I'm so excited. It's a dream come true," said the brunette bombshell, who is of Mexican and German descent.

Sanchez is also a world traveler who has traveled to 13 countries and plans to visit two more in 2014. The Latina beauty began competing in pageants when she was 19 and has had pageantry success in the United States and internationally before she settled back in her hometown in Las Vegas.