At age 22, Hayatte Abebe exhibits the maturity of someone twice her age.
The North Buffalo resident adheres to a strict daily routine, waking at 5:30 every morning to launch her day with a protein shake, gym workout and skin regimen. After that comes 20 minutes of inspirational reading and journaling her daily affirmations.
Only then is she ready to take on the day, which typically includes a mix of full-time classes at Hilbert College; work as manager at Forever 21; oversight of Hope4Homes, her not-for-profit; and official duties that come with her current reign as 2024 National United Miss.
“I need to be busy all the time,” Hayatte half jokes.
The pageant win is the latest in a series. She began competing as a high school student at Kenmore West, then took it up again in 2023, earning the Miss New York State title in 2023. Her current national title came in July 2024.
People are also reading…
As a kid, she said no one would have expected her to go into pageants.
“I was super shy, and such a tomboy—you couldn’t catch me in a dress,” Hayatte says. “My parents are still very shocked because I was such an introvert.”
But competing in pageants built her confidence, and winning the National United Miss crown has opened her world in new ways. Her duties include taking over the National United Miss Instagram account (@nationalunitedmiss) for the year, plus five trips to represent her title at destinations including Washington, D.C., the Caribbean and Disney World, all while balancing her responsibilities at home.
Hayatte says the best part of her latest pageant experience is the relationships she’s built. “It’s a sisterhood that is so welcoming and uplifting,” she says. “I’ve never experienced that before in a pageant system.”
She takes none of her success for granted. The daughter of Ethiopian immigrants, her parents took her back to their homeland for the first time when she was in fifth grade. She has traveled back with them several times since.
While in Ethiopia, she and her family would hand out food and donations to serve the community. It had an impact.
“Life there is so much harder,” says Hayatte. “People are traveling on foot, few people have cars, parents are begging for money alongside their kids.”
Giving back was something her parents instilled in Hayatte throughout her life, not just in Ethiopia, and that gratitude is what drove her to launch Hope4Homes. The nonprofit focuses on donation efforts for low-income families in Buffalo, including toy drives for Boys & Girls Clubs; an Easter basket drive for Oishei Children’s Hospital and other local projects.
One early success for Hope4Homes involved a veteran nearing eviction from his home of 30 years, whose story Hayatte saw on a Channel 7 newscast. Hayatte went into action, sharing his story on her own social media platform, and selling $5 bracelets. She said the outpouring of community support prompted Channel 7 to do a follow-up story, at which time Scott Bieler from West Herr stepped in to help the man preserve his home.
Now in the homestretch of earning her Master of Science degree in criminal justice in Hilbert’s 4+1 program, her goal is to work for the FBI. While many of her peers are still nailing down their majors, Hayatte envisions a very clear path forward.
“I’d like to work for Border Patrol for a couple years, then work my way into the FBI,” she says. “The application process can take two to three years.”
In the meantime, she also plans to pursue more competition. The Miss USA pageant is next on her bucket list, a stepping stone to the ultimate title: Miss Universe. It’s a much larger stage, including a live national broadcast, but she feels ready for it.
Her other goal? Zip lining in every country she gets to visit. (She’s already checked Mexico and Sint Maarten off her list.)
Achieving and balancing all she has at any age might be overwhelming, but Hayatte is confident and resolute.
“It’s all about your mindset. Nothing happens overnight,” she explains. “But if you don’t have a good mindset, it’s not going to turn out the way you want.”
