Meet Our Queens

Coming to you from the Granite State of New Hampshire, at just 21 years old, Grace Paradise is your Miss Aura USA 2026! 

A graduate of the American Academy of Health and Beauty, Grace is a licensed Nail Technician, entrepreneur, social media content creator, and a mental health advocate whose journey embodies confidence, compassion, and purpose. Through her artistry and advocacy, she continues to inspire others to embrace authenticity and turn personal challenges into meaningful impact. 

As the Owner and Founder of A Moment In Paradise Nail Studio LLC, Grace built her business from the ground up, combining creativity and compassion to empower others through beauty and confidence. Beyond entrepreneurship, she is the creator of Project “It’s Not Just Clean”, a mental health initiative dedicated to challenging stereotypes and fostering global understanding of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Through education, storytelling and advocacy, Grace uses her platform to encourage empathy and break the stigma surrounding mental illness.  

With confidence, empathy, and purpose, Grace Paradise embodies the spirit of Miss Aura USA 2026– a woman who leads with heart, serves with humility and inspires through authenticity.  

Erica is a 25-year-old artist and business owner from North Liberty, Iowa. An award winning artist with over 2 decades of experience, her expertise spans from oil painting to portraiture, and she continues to inspire and create as a business owner and an art teacher. With 6 years of teaching expertise, she proudly owns and runs her own art studio where she teaches drawing and painting classes to over 120 students weekly. Her ambition is to raise the next generation of artists and support them on their journeys to becoming the artists they have always dreamed of being.

Her platform, “Nourishing Our Neighbors”, focuses on advocating for and providing to those struggling with food insecurity and malnutrition. She believes it is important for people to see hunger within their communities, and encourages others to help feed and support their neighbors through volunteer opportunities and donations. Erica is an active volunteer and loves to regularly volunteer with local food assistance organizations. She believes everyone deserves to be free from hunger and, that we can help our neighbors survive and thrive, one meal at a time.

Outside of pageantry and teaching, Erica is a devoted wife and “cat-mom”. She loves to work out daily, discovered a new love for cooking, and enjoys movie nights with her friends. Erica is an avid traveler and has visited over 20 states, and has visited 17 countries around the world. Her travels have taken her to Europe, Latin America, and Asia. She hopes to visit every country in the world someday.