Dr. Karena Setoudeh-Maram stands as a powerful embodiment of grace, intelligence, and purpose. Crowned Mrs. Texas Classic Universe 2026, she is more than a titleholder. She is a wife, mother of six, grandmother of two, CEO, psychologist, and tireless advocate for Alzheimer’s awareness. Her life is guided by a deeply rooted motto: Help those that can never repay you.
A Compelling Force of Purpose
When asked to describe herself in one word, she answers without hesitation: Compelling. It is a fitting description for a woman who balances leadership in healthcare, pageantry, and philanthropy with unwavering dedication to her family.
As CEO of M.C. Health Care, P.A., and holding a PhD in Psychology, Dr. Karena works in a clinical setting conducting pre-dementia and Alzheimer’s screenings. Every diagnosis, every patient, and every family she meets reinforces her commitment to fighting a disease that continues to rise globally. For her, this is not just professional work. It is a personal mission.
Born to Wear the Crown
Karena believes she was born to be a Beauty Queen. Pageantry, for her, is not about glamour alone. It is about influence, empowerment, and the opportunity to shine a light on meaningful causes. She firmly believes that no woman leaves a stage less confident than when she walked onto it.
Through her platform of Alzheimer’s Awareness, she stands in the race and in the fight for a cure. With no cure currently available and diagnoses increasing daily, she channels her crown into advocacy, education, and community engagement.
Service Beyond the Spotlight
Her dedication to the Alzheimer’s Foundation is unwavering. She volunteers in scheduled community walk and run events, rallying support and encouraging others to join the movement.
Her approach to volunteerism is simple and direct: Recruit, recruit, and recruit some more. She believes excitement grows through invitation and inclusion.
Dr. Karena sees America’s greatest strength in its diversity. She celebrates the country as a melting pot where cultures, backgrounds, and stories unite to create something extraordinary.
Role Model for the Next Generation
Young girls looking to pageant role models, she says, should seek women who have overcome obstacles and continue striving to be better than they were yesterday. Perseverance, growth, and resilience matter more than perfection.
On social media, she maintains a balanced perspective. Platforms can inspire or discourage. It depends on what we choose to seek. Her philosophy is clear: What we seek, we shall find.
Triumph Through Adversity
One of the most defining chapters of her life was raising three children as a single mother for ten years. During those years, ensuring they would have a beautiful and successful life was her highest priority. Today, her children’s achievements stand as living proof of her resilience and faith.
Her life lesson to her younger self would be simple: Patience is a virtue.
Her heroes include her mother, her husband Dr. Shahriar Setoudeh-Maram, and even Wonder Woman. Strength, love, and courage are themes that run through all three.
A Life of Energy and Joy
Outside her professional and philanthropic commitments, Dr. Karena lives vibrantly. She enjoys traveling, chairing charities, downhill skiing, running marathons, and reading. She even began law school at the age of 50, a detail that surprises many and proves her belief that growth has no expiration date.
She laughs easily at life and all that it brings. She sings and dances to American Woman and would choose milk chocolate with almonds if she ever indulged in a midnight snack.
The movie that moves her to tears is P.S. I Love You, a story rooted in love and devotion, themes that mirror her own life. The greatest gift she has ever received is her husband.
Looking Ahead
Five years from now, Dr. Karena envisions herself as a bestselling author, reaching billions with messages of empowerment, service, and hope. She believes she is a light to many, a natural cheerleader who desires the human race to thrive.
She lives by a quote that perfectly reflects her mission:
The best form of exercise you can do is bend over and help another up.
In every role she embraces, from clinician to queen, from mother to mentor, Dr. Karena Setoudeh-Maram proves that true beauty is measured not only in crowns, but in compassion, courage, and the lives we uplift along the way.
