STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Featured in this week’s Best Dressed are photos of the highlights of the four Staten Island titleholders of the Miss Staten Island/Miss Richmond County Organization, an official preliminary to the Miss America pageant.
The titleholders are: Alexa Nicole Moley, Miss Staten Island; Gabriella Marinelli, Miss Richmond County; Madison Burkhart, Miss Staten Island Teen; and Joann Lee, Miss Richmond County Teen. The four young ladies were at the 57th annual Miss Staten Island Competition, held last November 2023 at the Historic Old Bermuda Inn.
Moley, 26, a candidate for a master’s degree in education, aspires to become a high school history teacher. Her community service initiative is “Together We Will: Supporting Pediatric Cancer Organizations.” For the talent portion of the competition, Moley performed a tap routine to “As It Was” by Harry Styles. She was the People’s Choice Award winner at Miss New York in July 2024.
Marinelli, 21, is a recent Hofstra University grad, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in television and business with a minor in journalism. She is currently on the production staff at ABC’s “Good Morning America 3.” For her community service initiative, Marinelli chose “Mindful Media: Promoting Media Literacy,” and for her talent, she performed a Pom routine to a mix of USA-themed songs. She was a prelim winner of Fitness at Miss New York in July 2024 and placed as third runner-up overall.
Burkhart, 16, is a senior at St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School and a staffer at Young People’s Day Camps SI, MaskedUP by Maddie, Boulevard Medical and Core Chiropractic. Her community service initiative is called, “Hospital-ity: Bringing Cheer to Hospitals!” For her vocal talent performance, she sang, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” by Martina McBride. Burkhart placed second runner-up to Miss New York Teen.
Lee, 16, a Tottenville High School senior, chose “That’s So Girl: Empowering Women in Business” as her community service initiative. For her talent, she sang and played “From the Start” by Laufey on the ukulele. Lee placed first runner-up to Miss New York and received the Congeniality Award.
Scroll below for a glimpse into the titleholders’ year, which they will pass on to the new delegates at the 2025 pageant in November. Send your photos for consideration for future installations of “Staten Island’s Best Dressed” to [email protected]. Make sure the photos are clear and everyone’s names in each photo are included.