Miss Greater Rockville Just Misses Miss CT Crown
Bridget Oei had never competed in a pageant before she won the title of Miss Greater Rockville in March.
On June 18, she was named the first runner-up to Miss Connecticut at the pageant held at Mohegan Sun's Cabaret Theatre.
Alyssa Taglia, 22, from Wolcott, took home the title of Miss Connecticut 2016, but Oei won awards, scholarships, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
"It was a wild ride," Oei said. "Without a doubt, there was so much preparation and so much excitement. There were so many emotions I can't fully describe, but I'm really honored to have been a part of it."
Oei, a Hebron native and junior at the University of Connecticut, has competed as an Irish dancer on the international level and has placed as high as fifth in worldwide competitions. Naturally, it was Irish dancing that helped her earn the overall talent award and preliminary talent awards at the pageant. Oei also won overall interview and a group preliminary award for lifestyle and fitness in swimsuit.
It was performing that Oei said was the high point for her.
"Getting up on stage and performing for the judges and the audience was such an honor," she said. "I love performing and showing people who I am. It means the world to me."
In its five years of existence, the Miss Greater Rockville Scholarship Organization has never had a Miss Greater Rockville crack the top five or top 10 at the Miss Connecticut pageant, so being first runner-up is a great accomplishment for Oei and the local program.
Miss Greater Rockville's Outstanding Teen 2015, Sapna Raghavan of Ellington, captured the Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen crown a year ago.
Oei said she's honored to represent the community, and said she got a lot of support from Raghavan, as well as Miss Greater Rockville Executive Director Teri Rogers and Preparation Director Ryan Gimbel.
"I'm so proud that I did Rockville proud," she said. "They have been behind me 110 percent from the beginning. I'm really happy that I could do my best for them, and do the best that I could."
When Oei and Taglia were the last two contestants standing at the pageant finals, she said she had a simple few words for the eventual Miss Connecticut.
"I just said, 'Go win Miss America,' to her, because she, through every element and aspect of this competition, she carried herself like a queen and I'm really proud of her," she said. "I know she's going to go a fantastic job as Miss Connecticut. Standing up there was very surreal. It was my first time and I'm just really happy that she's going to take on the role."
There is something to be learned from taking part in pageants, as Oei said she recently learned.
"I have enjoyed the process of developing myself further as a well-rounded person," she said.
"Because the pageant focuses on talent as well as speaking, fitness, and poise, preparing for pageants helped me develop myself further as a whole person."
During the competition, Oei said she had no idea of how much the judges were impressed with her.
"I had no sense whatsoever," she said. "I set goals for myself to come off the stage personally satisfied with my performance in every element. I achieved that and was happy, so the scores of the judges didn't matter to me, I just hoped that they saw who I was... And hopefully they enjoyed my performance!"
While dancing is her forte, Oei said she put a lot of effort into her routine for the talent phase of the competition.
"I wanted to show the audience the intricacy of Irish dance and how difficult it really is," she said. "So, I put some of the hardest elements into my piece. Some of the choreography came from steps that I competed with at the world championships and some came from the steps I will be doing at the nationals championships in July."
Oei said she hasn't yet decided if she will try again for the title next year, or in the future.
"We'll see," she said. "We'll see where life takes me."
Meanwhile, Oei is looking forward to many events coming up in Rockville, including the 'July in the Sky' celebration on July 6.
"I can't wait to interact with more people of Rockville, especially the kids," she said. "That's exactly why I did this."
On June 18, she was named the first runner-up to Miss Connecticut at the pageant held at Mohegan Sun's Cabaret Theatre.
Alyssa Taglia, 22, from Wolcott, took home the title of Miss Connecticut 2016, but Oei won awards, scholarships, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
"It was a wild ride," Oei said. "Without a doubt, there was so much preparation and so much excitement. There were so many emotions I can't fully describe, but I'm really honored to have been a part of it."
Oei, a Hebron native and junior at the University of Connecticut, has competed as an Irish dancer on the international level and has placed as high as fifth in worldwide competitions. Naturally, it was Irish dancing that helped her earn the overall talent award and preliminary talent awards at the pageant. Oei also won overall interview and a group preliminary award for lifestyle and fitness in swimsuit.
It was performing that Oei said was the high point for her.
"Getting up on stage and performing for the judges and the audience was such an honor," she said. "I love performing and showing people who I am. It means the world to me."
In its five years of existence, the Miss Greater Rockville Scholarship Organization has never had a Miss Greater Rockville crack the top five or top 10 at the Miss Connecticut pageant, so being first runner-up is a great accomplishment for Oei and the local program.
Miss Greater Rockville's Outstanding Teen 2015, Sapna Raghavan of Ellington, captured the Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen crown a year ago.
Oei said she's honored to represent the community, and said she got a lot of support from Raghavan, as well as Miss Greater Rockville Executive Director Teri Rogers and Preparation Director Ryan Gimbel.
"I'm so proud that I did Rockville proud," she said. "They have been behind me 110 percent from the beginning. I'm really happy that I could do my best for them, and do the best that I could."
When Oei and Taglia were the last two contestants standing at the pageant finals, she said she had a simple few words for the eventual Miss Connecticut.
"I just said, 'Go win Miss America,' to her, because she, through every element and aspect of this competition, she carried herself like a queen and I'm really proud of her," she said. "I know she's going to go a fantastic job as Miss Connecticut. Standing up there was very surreal. It was my first time and I'm just really happy that she's going to take on the role."
There is something to be learned from taking part in pageants, as Oei said she recently learned.
"I have enjoyed the process of developing myself further as a well-rounded person," she said.
"Because the pageant focuses on talent as well as speaking, fitness, and poise, preparing for pageants helped me develop myself further as a whole person."
During the competition, Oei said she had no idea of how much the judges were impressed with her.
"I had no sense whatsoever," she said. "I set goals for myself to come off the stage personally satisfied with my performance in every element. I achieved that and was happy, so the scores of the judges didn't matter to me, I just hoped that they saw who I was... And hopefully they enjoyed my performance!"
While dancing is her forte, Oei said she put a lot of effort into her routine for the talent phase of the competition.
"I wanted to show the audience the intricacy of Irish dance and how difficult it really is," she said. "So, I put some of the hardest elements into my piece. Some of the choreography came from steps that I competed with at the world championships and some came from the steps I will be doing at the nationals championships in July."
Oei said she hasn't yet decided if she will try again for the title next year, or in the future.
"We'll see," she said. "We'll see where life takes me."
Meanwhile, Oei is looking forward to many events coming up in Rockville, including the 'July in the Sky' celebration on July 6.
"I can't wait to interact with more people of Rockville, especially the kids," she said. "That's exactly why I did this."
http://www.courant.com/community/vernon/hc-rr-vernon-miss-greater-rockville-at-miss-ct-0630-20160621-story.html
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