Isabel Caballero graduated from San Diego State University with her bachelor’s in psychology, marking her third degree in psychology. She received a full-ride scholarship to SDSU through her work as a NextGen Scholar, a vape and smoke free Latinx program. Under this program, they were an undergraduate research assistant conducting groundbreaking prenatal substance exposure research, while advocating for vape-free environments within the county of San Diego. This program helped define their passion in widening her psychology lens and pursuing higher education in public health.

Currently, Isabel is completing her Master of Public Health at the University of California San Diego. She continues her involvement in research, now at UCSD assisting on a prescription opioid medication study. Her main passion resides in The Collective Coalition, an LGBTQ+ harm reduction organization focused on the creation of sober friendly third spaces for the Queer community. They are an advisory board member and volunteer for The Collective. Her recent work has focused on promoting stronger tobacco retail license regulations within San Diego. Her end goal is to obtain a PhD with a focus on Queer Trans harm reduction research while bridging the gap between research and at-risk communities.

Beyond her academic achievements, Isabel is an avid concert goer, attending over 20 concerts within the past couple years. They are also extremely well rounded in the arts, from award winning watercolor work to tailoring and upcycling sustainably collected clothing. Fun Fact: Their entire nationals wardrobe was collected second hand, even her winning gown that she hand rhinestoned! Overall, Isabel is beyond proud to represent the nation as the 2026 Miss of America, even more so, being the first openly lesbian national titleholder for American Pageants. Her reign will focus on her community work with The Collective Coalition and bringing more queer visibility to the pageant sphere.