Local contestants compete for the title of Miss Long Island

Camille Cabrera, of Rockville Centre, was one of 32 contestants across Nassau and Suffolk counties to compete for the prestigious honor of being crowned Miss Long Island Teen.

The contestants gathered inside the Madison Theatre at Molloy University on Saturday, Jan. 13, to compete in a series of competitions based on their talents, drive, beauty and compassion.

Based on their performance, a panel of judges crowned Katherine Wang, of Port Jefferson, and Alexis Ebanks, of Centerport, as the winners of the 2024 Miss Long Island and Miss Long Island Teen pageant.

Wang said that she plans to use her title as Miss Long Island to advocate for health literacy in schools and to work on increasing health care understanding and awareness among Long Island youths.

“I’m really excited to go to the schools in the community,” Wang said. “I think that improving our understanding of health care really starts at the level of our students. It’s just like learning any other language; you have to start them young.” 

Ebanks, in her role as 2024 Miss Long Island Teen, said she plans to embrace her platform by focusing on strength, teamwork, resilience, optimism, nutrition and growth, and advocate for the development of healthy lifestyles and mental health awareness.

“I really want to help people with fitness and be able to share my struggles with mental health and how I was able to conquer that by embracing a healthy lifestyle,” Ebanks said.

Based on her journey of self-discovery, Ebanks also wrote and illustrated her first book, aptly titled, “STRONG: Building a Healthy Body and Mind,” about the connection of mental well-being and physical fitness.

Following their coronation, both Wang and Ebanks will work to campaign for their causes to support the Long Island community. They will also go on for a shot at the title of Miss New York and Miss New York Teen USA.

Leanne Baum, owner and director of J&L Dream Productions, said that the Miss Long Island pageants began in 2008 as a way to give back to the Long Island community and encourage young women to advocate for the causes they are passionate about. They also foster a sense of community and sisterhood among the contestants, creating a bonding experience that continues far beyond the competition.

“There are many appearances that you will find our reigning queens and former queens together, which further shows how our sisterhood continues to grow and support one another,” Baum said.

Lianne Webb and Natalia Suaza, last year’s pageant winners, had their final walk on stage as Miss Long Island 2023 and Miss Long Island Teen 2023, before crowning the new winners.

Miss Long Island 2022 pageant winner, Nadgeena Jerome, a professional journalist and reporter with The U.S. Sun, and Faith Pierrecharles, a former National and International pageant titleholder, hosted this year’s event.

Past participants and previous winners also came out to support the contestants, as family and friends of the competitors came to cheer on their loved ones and share signs of support.

“I thought this was an extraordinary event,” Sai Somboon, one of the judges, said. “The contestants were fierce and fabulous and brilliant and so talented. I’m so honored to be a part of it.”

Some of the runners-up from the Miss Long Island competition include Queenasia Rosario of Uniondale, Elodie Sirulnick of Smithtown, Jenna Hofmann of West Islip and Geanna Koulouris of Bethpage.

The runners-up from the Miss Long Island Teen competition include Jessica Ong of Great Neck, Adriana Lane of Lindenhurst, Valarie Goorahoo of Valley Stream, and Rudra Patel of Farmingdale.

“My hope for the future of Miss Long Island Pageants is to continue to grow and expand, reaching women across Long Island and being able to help share more about what they are passionate about,” Baum said. “Our pageant teaches valuable skills like interviewing, public speaking, and advocacy, and it’s important to me that we continue to uplift the voices of the women who walk across our stage.”