Miss Connecticut USA 2023 is Karla Aponte Roque


Miss Greater New Haven, Karla Aponte Roque, was crowned Miss Connecticut USA 2023 on Sunday, April 16 at the Marriott Hartford Windsor Airport.

The 27-year-old beauty of Puerto Rican descent is a registered nurse from Branford. She holds a triple bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, and nursing, and is currently pursuing her MBA at Albertus Magnus College.

Karla succeeded last year's winner Cynthia Dias and will now prepare to represent her home state at Miss USA 2023 in Reno, Nevada later this year.

Miss Milford, Sarah Barrett, was announced as the first runner-up while the representatives of Huntington, Christina Judd, Bridgeport, Shavana Clarke, and Shoreline, Gabriela Vigorito were the second, third, and fourth runners-up, respectively.

Also crowned during Sunday's event was Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2023, Jade Ferdinand of Stamford, who will proceed to Miss Teen USA 2023. Her runners-up were Mary Tumer, Devin McHenry, Dakota Atizol, and Anna Beresford.

In a statement on social media, the new Miss Connecticut USA wrote: "I am humbled and grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I want to thank all of my family and friends near and far for their endless support."

"To my state of Connecticut, I am here to serve and look forward to working with different organizations, programs, and our sponsors," she added.

Karla continued with a message in Spanish for her fellow Puerto Ricans: "Y mi gente Puerto Ricañ es un honor representar nuestra cultura, idioma, y el calor de el caribe."

(And my Puerto Rican people, it is an honor to represent our culture, language, and the warmth of the Caribbean.)

Photos: Mike Chaiken / CT Fashion Mag, Fadil Berisha / Karla Aponte Roque / Instagram

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