Additionally, McCullough and her predecessor Deshauna Barber's wins marked the first time a state had won back-to-back titles since Courtney Gibbs and Gretchen Polhemus of Texas won Miss USA 1988 and 1989.

[4] McCullough attended the HBCU South Carolina State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry with a concentration in radiochemistry and served as the school's 75th Miss South Carolina State University.

[11][12][13] McCullough was both criticized and praised[14] for her conservative question answers, stating that health care was a privilege for the working and not a right, in addition to calling herself an "equalist" as opposed to a feminist.

[15][16][17] On May 21, 2018, McCullough crowned Sarah Rose Summers as her successor at the Miss USA 2018 competition, held in Shreveport, Louisiana.

[18][19][20][21] In 2020, McCullough married professional basketball player Garrett Temple, in a private ceremony.