The first police officer to ever compete in Miss USA is a Tempe resident

Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this story misspelled Officer Candace Kanavel's name.

A Tempe police officer will walk the runway of the Miss USA Pageant on Friday to represent Arizona in the nationwide competition in Reno, Nevada.

Officer Candace Kanavel, known off-duty as the 2023 Miss Arizona USA, was crowned the state’s resident beauty queen in May, which made her the first police officer to compete in Miss USA.

Kanavel accepted the dual role without hesitation, acclimated to the high-stress environments as a SWAT hostage negotiator specialized in crisis intervention.

The confidence needed to succeed in those dual roles is a core value that she wanted to share as a role model for young women.

Kanavel highlighted young women she's seen limit themselves because they believe they can only follow one passion or be one particular type of person.

"I'm a walking example that’s not true, you can be a super feminine woman in the role of a police officer and do it well, and vice versa, I can be a police officer and walk on a stage in a gown in full glam and do it well," Kanavel said in an interview with The Arizona Republic.

Part of the safety training that she learned from her law enforcement career focused on things like situational awareness, which she says provides reassurance along a woman's personal journey and she's made it her mission to help spread that.

She said her reminder to young women whenever they may feel doubtful is simple: Yes She CAN — also the name of the social media campaign she launched as a platform to help women feel empowered.

"When people saw me, they saw my femininity and discounted what I'm capable of, and I felt really frustrated by that. So I wanted to create a space, a campaign and initiative for women," said Kanavel.

When Kanavel became Miss Arizona USA this year, she saw the opportunity for a bigger platform for her longstanding message of inspiration and self-empowerment.

“When I’m a police officer, I’m serving the community, I’m out helping others when they need us the most. But in my other job as Miss Arizona USA, even though I’m wearing a different uniform, I’m doing the same thing. I’m serving the community and I’m making a difference,” said Kanavel.

The support of her fellow officers and city employees has been critical in her journey, even if the beauty pageant world may be a foreign concept for many.

Kanavel said that in accordance to Miss USA rules, this will be her last competition whether she wins the title or not, as she intends to hang up her heels and focus on mentoring young women entering the pageant world.

If Kanavel won Miss USA, she said it would be a win not only for her but for all women attempting to redefine societal norms.

However, she said she was grateful just for the opportunity to fulfill those dreams that are so important to her morals.

"I'm just grateful for my specific journey, for the specific amount of time to get to this point for all of the individuals and the organizations and communities that helped get me here, it’s not a one-woman show even though I’m the one who's walking the stage," she said.

Kanavel will participate in the national Miss USA Pageant on Friday, Sept. 29, at 5 p.m., Arizona time, which will be aired live on local channel CW6.

You can vote for Miss Arizona USA until Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. as part of the Miss USA people's choice for $2 per vote