Mikey Chadwick of West Virginia has a major reason to celebrate. He became the second person to ever win Mister USA, and the first Filipino to earn this title. He chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about his latest distinction and accolade.
The 2025 Mister USA finals, hosted by Daryn Alexander and Jamie Renée Smith (“The Nanny”), took place on August 30th at The Montalban Theater in Hollywood, and Loews Hollywood Hotel served as the host hotel; both venues made the experience extra special for all parties involved.
Mister USA is an American beauty pageant, which is held each year, and the winner goes on to represent the United States in the Mister Universe competition. It is a celebration of culture, diversity, beauty, intelligence and empowerment. They believe in the power of young leaders to make a difference in the world. It is not solely about outer beauty; it recognizes the inner beauty and intelligence of their contestants.
Chadwick triumphed over 27 noteworthy finalists from all across American and he won the prestigious title of Mister Universe USA. As a result, Chadwick will go on to represent the United States at the 2025 Mister Universe finals, which will take place in Hollywood later on this year.
The subsequent international titles went to the following: Shane O’Brien of Virginia finished in second place (as Mr. World USA), Dr. Evan Schrader of North Carolina finished in third place (as Mr. International USA), Hayden Greene of Ohio finished in fourth place as Mister Earth USA, Adrian Quiroz of California was named Mr. Caballero Universal (in fifth place), and last but not least, Tyler Mata of Colorado, finished in sixth place and was named Mister Grand International.
Mikey also took home the specialty award of “Mr. Congeniality.”
Particularly impressive about Mikey is that he is a summa cum laude graduate from San Jose State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology (specializing in Sports Management and a minor in Business). Mikey just moved to New York City to pursue acting and modeling. He also excelled as a Division 1 track and field and cross country athlete.
The Mister Universe social media page subsequently welcomed Mikey into its family, and rightfully so. “We are absolutely thrilled to have you on board and can’t wait to watch you shine on this exciting journey,” the post exclaimed.
On winning this coveted crown, Mikey expressed, “I am so humbled, honored, and overwhelmed in the best possible way. It definitely took a village to get me here. I am certainly riding the high of winning the 2025 Mister USA. My next stop is Mister Universe.”
Advocacy
As part of his advocacy, Mikey wants to address becoming a first generation Asian-American man because it is extremely important from the culture that he was brought up with. His goal is to present it well.
“I was raised by my mother the majority of my life, so I understand what it’s like to have an emotional perspective yet at the same time teach myself how to be a man, which is really important about being Mister USA,” he said.
“I think men’s mental health is also important,” he underscored. “Especially from a self-exploration of who we are trying to become, which is the best version of ourselves.”
Mikey thanks all his fellow finalists
Ever-gracious, Mikey went on to thank every single finalist (who subsequently became a friend and brother for life). “I got here with the help from my village. This means a lot to me but I can’t express how grateful I am to have been with many guys who are just as worthy,” Mikey said.
Mikey expressed, “This one’s for the guys: If I truly am the one chosen from the group – I’m taking perseverance of heart from Louisiana, motivation from Virginia, youthful fun from Wyoming, big brother Wasian lessons from Colorado and Washington, cowboy w white shoe energy from Arizona, mechanical bull riding energy from Florida, social media skills from Ohio, crazy 2am spontaneity from Tennessee, chest day energy from Oregon, good guy energy from Alabama, Day 1 loyalty energy from Hawaii, humble and happy to be here energy from New Mexico, gym beast energy from Iowa, self-care energy from New York, positive kindness from California, armpit pic energy from Indiana IYKYK, superhero build energy from North Carolina, southern loving energy from Oklahoma, primal build energy from Utah, piano lessons from Connecticut, blue lives matter from Nebraska lmao Breh, Liam vibes from Minnesota, funny and easygoing energy from South Carolina, and the full commitment to trump impression energy from New Hampshire – to my game for Mister Universe.”
“Trust me boys, these guys aren’t gonna know who they’ve met after I incorporate these qualities into my game,” he promised.
Congratulations once again to Mikey Chadwick on his 2025 Mister USA win. Hopefully, this is a harbinger for more great things to come from him in the future. As they say, the sky’s the limit.
To learn more about Mister Universe USA Mikey Chadwick, follow him on Instagram.
