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Miss Connecticut Contestants |
Miss Bloomfield - Liz Wong
Age: 23
Town: Bloomfield
Education: Oberlin College graduate
Elizabeth is proud to be representing her hometown at Miss Connecticut this year as Miss Bloomfield. She is the youngest of four children and is excited to announce that she is due to be an Aunt in September. Elizabeth is a graduate of Oberlin College with a degree in Law and Philosophy and has a minor in dance. She is currently a full time nanny of two girls, a coach for the West Hartford Special Olympics, and has recently been accepted to law school. Elizabeth has dedicated herself to her platform of Keep Calm and Be Healthy: Cardiac Awareness for [more..]
Miss Bristol - Aubrie Przybysz
Age: 20
Town: Terryville
Education: Western New England University
Aubrie is a communications major concentrating in media theories and production at Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts. She hopes to one day be on-camera as a reporter or news anchor. Since the age of four, Aubrie has been an avid dancer, in a range of styles including acrobatics, ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical. She has also competed on the competition dance team at her dance studio, Dance Arts Centre, for seven years. Since then she has gone on to become a part of the performing team on her university’s dance team, where she was recently voted the incoming [more..]
Miss Capital Region - Kaitlyn Bogue
Age: 21
Town: Oxford
Education: Western Connecticut State University
Kaitlyn is a 2009 Graduate of Holy Cross High School in Waterbury, Connecticut and is currently a senior at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, studying Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance. Kaitlyn has been singing on stage since grammar school and has had professional training in classical ballet since the age of three. In high school, Kaitlyn won lead roles in musicals, including “The King and I,” “Pirates of Penzance,” “Man of La Mancha,” and “Barnum.” Upon entering Western Connecticut State University, Kaitlyn chose to not study Music, thinking that it was not the “safe” option. Feeling lost, [more..]
Miss Constitution - Molly Westfall
Age: 19
Town: Harwinton
Education: Central Connecticut State University
Molly Westfall is a sophomore Marketing major at Central Connecticut State University, where she is also a member of the Dance Team. She has been dancing for eighteen years and has been trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, pom, and hip-hop. You can also find her singing at local events and appearances. Molly has competed in the Miss America pageant system since she was twelve years old. After placing in the top ten at the Miss Connecticut pageant last year, she’s very excited to be returning this June. With a passion for advocating and spreading awareness for our nation’s veterans, [more..]
Miss Forestville - Julie Gianoni
Age: 24
Town: Forestville
Education: Sacred Heart BA, MA
Julie Gianoni is a graduate from Sacred Heart University where she earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology, Cum Laude and a Masters in Elementary Education, Summa Cum Laude.As Miss Forestville, Julie is currently involved in promoting her platform “Anti-Bullying Awareness and Education” by raising awareness, educating both children and adults, and providing assistance to schools seeking an effective intervention program. She recently created and implemented an after- school program entitled “Buddies Not Bullies,” where she met weekly with students from grades kindergarten through sixth grade and discussed the causes, effects, and consequences of bullying and how to overcome a bully situation. [more..]
Miss Greater Rockville - Gina Salvatore
Age: 19
Town: Wethersfield
Education: University of Connecticut
Gina Salvatore is nineteen years old and is from Wethersfield, Connecticut. In the fall she will be a junior at the University of Connecticut where she is pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. Through her theatrical endeavors, Gina has performed at Hartford Stage, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Hartford Children’s Theatre, and Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and has performed in more than twenty plays and musicals. She aspires to one day be a successful Broadway actress and theatre educator in New York City. At UConn, Gina is a member of the Marching Band and is a proud Brother [more..]
Miss Greater Waterbury - Ashley Membrino
Age: 22
Town: Waterbury
Education: Western New England University, UConn Law School
Ashley is a recent Summa Cum Laude Graduate with a Bachelor of Arts from Western New England University. During her time there, she was a member of the Honors Program and three scholastic- and service-oriented honors societies. She served as President of the Western New England Dance Team since 2010, and majored in Integrated Liberal Studies with a concentration in Psychology and Law and will soon be a First Year Law Student at the University of Connecticut.Ashley’s personal platform is “AIDS Awareness and Prevention for Today’s Young Adults.” She was inspired during her freshman year of high school when Ethan [more..]
Miss Greater Watertown - Samantha Aquavia
Age: 21
Town: Watertown
Education: Southern CT State University
Twenty-one year old Samantha Aquavia is a life-long resident of Watertown. She is currently the Director and Choreographer for the Performer’s Edge Competition Team and Performance Ensemble. Sam has been dancing for 16 years and teaching for 5 years, and has received numerous awards for her performances, including Halo awards for musicals, judges special awards at competitions, and choreographers awards. Samantha hopes to audition for SYTYCD. Sam has a brother and sister, ages 12 and 14, respectively. She enjoys playing basketball with her brother David. She also enjoys watching TV and having late night talks with her sister Nicole. Vacationing [more..]
Miss Hartford County - Alexandria Puglisi
Age: 22
Town: Cheshire
Education: Naugatuck Valley Community College graduate
Alexandria Puglisi is a graduate of Naugatuck Valley Community College, where she received degrees in both Business Management and Dance. She one day hopes to own and operate her own competitive dance studio. Currently, an award-winning dance instructor and choreographer, she has taught for five years throughout Connecticut and New York. Alexandria wishes to obtain the job of Miss Connecticut in order to reach more students with her issue of concern, “Fill Your Bucket, Fill Your Life” which promotes positivity and eliminates bullying within our youth. Alexandria felt the need to implement a program like this within our students when [more..]
Miss Litchfield County - Valerie Voccio
Age: 20
Town: Brooklyn
Education: University of St. Joesph
Valerie Voccio is currently enrolled in the Nursing Program at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford. She was a 2011 graduate of Woodstock Academy in Woodstock, Connecticut where she was a music department officer and member of the Mixed Chorus, the Chorale and Woodstock’s elite a cappella group, The Hill Singers. Valerie also played clarinet in both the concert and symphonic bands.In 2011, Valerie represented our state as Connecticut’s Distinguished Young Woman (formerly known as America’s Junior Miss). She competed nationally in Mobile, Alabama and was awarded a scholarship for placing as a Top 5 national finalist for [more..]
Miss Mountain Laurel - Alyssa Taglia
Age: 19
Town: Wolcott, CT
Education: Point Park University
Alyssa is currently entering her junior year at Point Park University successfully on the path to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Masters in Education as she continues to contribute to society as a performer, artist and educator. Throughout her college career, she has maintained Dean’s List status and receives the Artistic Achievement and Scholarship Award. More than 17 years of extensive dance training throughout the country has allowed her the opportunity to be accepted at one of the most prestigious dance conservatories. Accolades and featured performances include: the Joyce Theater (NYC), the Byham Theater (Pittsburgh) and a [more..]
Miss Naugatuck Valley - Nicole Morin
Age: 18
Town: Plymouth
Education: Wamogo High School
Nicole is a graduate of Wamogo Agricultural High School and will be attending the Paul Smith College of environmental sciences in the fall of 2013. Her passion for the great outdoors and love for the wildlife that calls our forest home, is the driving force behind her ambitious goals. Nicole intends on pursuing a degree in Conservation Law and Wildlife Biology.Nicole is no stranger to extreme weather conditions or the adrenaline rush of handling wildlife. Four years of volunteer work at White Memorial Conservation Center has trained her to track animal prints in the snow and catch frogs in the [more..]
Miss New Haven County - Amaryllis Rodriguez
Age: 24
Town: Manchester
Education: Goodwin College; Nova Southeastern University
Family is very important to Amaryllis, who resides in Manchster with her mother and younger brother Josh. She values her intensive bound with her family who is very involved in everything she takes part in. Amaryllis lives by the advice her grandmother gave her which is "to appreciate all that you have in life, for there are others who are not so fortunate." That has led her to become passionate with her community involvement and giving back.She has founded and hosts “Dollars for Wishes” – a talent showcase where proceeds collected go to the Make-a-Wish foundation – and she [more..]
Miss Nutmeg - Ilayda Muftuoglu
Age: 23
Town: New Haven
Education: Yale University Graduate School
Although Ilayda, a second-year graduate student in pharmacology at Yale, spends her much of her day in pharmaceutical research, her few years in Connecticut have proven far from ordinary. At Yale, Ilayda and the rest of her laboratory cohorts work toward better understanding the proteins in our bodies that cause Alzheimer's disease. She also works as a Natural Sciences Fellow at the Graduate Writing Center, helping fellow students win scholarships, prepare for scientific presentations, and learn how to better communicate science to a broader audience.Also passionate about the performing arts, Ilayda has performed with Long Wharf theatre, New Paradigm theatre, [more..]
Miss Plantsville - Shannon Murphy
Age: 20
Town: Wolcott
Education: Central Connecticut State University
Shannon is a 20-year-old sophomore at Central Connecticut State University. She is an elementary education major with a concentration in mathematics. Her career ambition is to become a third-grade teacher and enhance children’s lives through education. Shannon currently lives in Wolcott, Connecticut with her parents, Donald and Lisa; two sisters, Jackie and Carly; and her dog, Bailey.Shannon has been a competitive dancer for the past 18 years of her life, and has competed in many regional and national competitions including travelling to Shanghai, China as a member of Team USA to perform in the Cultural Arts Festival. She is currently [more..]
Miss Rocky Hill - Andreanna Buccheri
Age: 19
Town: Wethersfield
Education: New York University - Tisch School of the Arts
Andreanna Buccheri, Miss Rocky Hill, is a freshman at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts majoring in Musical Theater. She graduated from Wethersfield High School as the salutatorian of the class of 2012. Last July, she joined the First Church of Christ of Wethersfield’s Mission Trip Team and served in the Dominican Republic as a volunteer. Andreanna also adores her two German Shepherds, Gunnar and Tanner, who are both certified therapy dogs. While she keeps herself busy promoting her platform, ProArts: Promote Youth Success, she also enjoys her down time with her pups, who love to watch movie [more..]
Miss Shoreline - Ashley Hamel
Age: 24
Town: Berlin
Education: University of Connecticut graduate
Ashley graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2010 where she studied Anthropology and minored in Spanish and International Studies. She currently works as a drama teacher for Manchester Schools and as the lead vocalist for a cover band called Juice Box.Performing is Ashley's passion, and her stage experience is extensive: besides Juice Box, she also performs with an original “wizard rock band,” Bella and le Strangers, acts in musicals and plays, writes her own music, and makes people laugh with her improv comedy troupe, The Great Make Believe Society. For her talent, she will perform an original song, “Nashville,” [more..]
Miss Southington - Kaitlyn Tarpey
Age: 21
Town: Stamford
Education: Pace University
Kaitlyn Tarpey is a 21-year-old student at the Honors College at PACE University. She began competing in the Miss Connecticut Pageant two years ago after surviving an almost-fatal lung surgery. Her passions are raising awareness for Veterans through fundraisers and her blog, kaittarpey.wordpress.org. Having family members who have served in the military and are now struggling to acclimate back into society, she has made it her priority to educate others and help veterans as much as she can. She is involved with multiple veterans' organizations including the CT Fallen Heroes Foundation, the Purple Heart Foundation and the National Veterans Services [more..]
Miss University of New Haven - Lindsay Burgyn
Age: 21
Town: Watertown
Education: University of New Haven graduate
Lindsay is a recent graduate of the University of New Haven, and earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications. She is planning on working in the television news field. She graduated as a Dean’s List student and a member of the Lamba Pi Eta Honor Society. She lives with her parents, Frank and Debbie; her three younger siblings, Matt, Taylor and Kayleigh; and her dog, Ollie. Lindsay started dancing at the age of two and has been dancing ever since. She was a member of a National Award Winning dance team for 16 years. During Lindsay’s four years at [more..]
Miss Wolcott - Brianna D'Esposito
Age: 18
Town: Wolcott
Education: Holy Cross High School
Briana D’Esposito is from the small, tight-knit community of Wolcott. She is eighteen years old and will be graduating from Holy Cross High School this year. She is the daughter of Christopher and Esther D’Esposito. Briana plans on furthering her education at Fairfield University or the University of Delaware. She would like to major in political science with the hopes of becoming a lobbyist in D.C. or an environmental lawyer. Her dream job would be to co-host the Today Show with Matt Lauer. Briana spends most of her free time at Triple Threat Dance Company. She has been dancing for [more..]
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