System inequalities and lack of education in a sibling, motivated young Addo-Yobo to to amplify the voices of the autistic community.
Addo-Yobo made history as the first Ghanaian to win the pageant on Saturday, June 27, 2024, at the Charles W. Eisemann Center in Richardson, Texas. She received a $20,000 scholarship and will go on to represent Texas at the upcoming Miss America pageant.
She took to Instagram to celebrate the remarkable achievement stating that she is humbled and honoured to be the 87th Miss Texas and hopes to continue making history with the Texas community and the Miss Texas class.
The Ghanaian shed light on a cause she was working on, dubbed the SPARK Project. The initiative focuses on children with autism, safety, awareness, and education.
"I want to bring autism safety, awareness and education to the frontlines of our programming and our legislation. My younger brother Andrew was diagnosed on the spectrum when he was age four. And as an immigrant to this country, he had a large learning curve to overcome," said Addo-Yobo.
The Ghanaian shed light on a cause she was working on, dubbed the SPARK Project. The initiative focuses on children with autism, safety, awareness, and education.
"I want to bring autism safety, awareness and education to the frontlines of our programming and our legislation. My younger brother Andrew was diagnosed on the spectrum when he was age four. And as an immigrant to this country, he had a large learning curve to overcome," said Addo-Yobo.
The Miss Texas winner revealed that her goal as an advocate stems from a systemic failure experienced first-hand because of her relative.
"As a sibling to someone on the spectrum, I noticed the systemic inequities and lack of education and training very early. It is my mission to amplify the voices of the autistic community and ensure that legislators, decision-makers, and community members see us and fight for us," Addo-Yobo added.
According to reports, Annette Addo-Yobo was born in Ghana but raised in Canada and the US. She studied at the University of Texas at Dallas and in 2020 earned her bachelor's degree in psychology.
