By Alex Costello
Prospective contestants answered questions about their goals, volunteer work they have done and why they think they are good role models, among other topics. Twenty were selected for the Miss Long Island Pageant, and 15 were for Miss Long Island Teen. One of the Miss Long Island contestants is Jessica Ricco, a Westbury resident and a graduate of W.T. Clarke High School.
"She's the total package," Lori Donaudy, executive director of Dazzle D Productions, said of Ricco. "There's much more to her than just her beautiful face, and I think she'll make a great contestant."
Ricco, 20, is a student at Adelphi University, majoring in elementary education. "Working with children is a passion of mine, which is why I am going to Adelphi University to become a teacher," Ricco said in an e-mail interview. She added that she has participated in pageants for four years, and the Miss Long Island competition will be her fifth.
Some parents might be hesitant to let their daughter get involved in the notoriously cutthroat world of beauty pageants, but Ricco's mother, Michele, thought it would be good for her. "I thought it would be beneficial to her in the long run," she said. "She's had a great time of it. She's met a lot of good friends. It's a nice kind of camaraderie type thing; she meets people her own age going through the same things in life."
Ricco fell in love with doing pageants in her very first one, the 2004 Miss New York Teen USA. Her interest was sparked by a card she received in the mail inviting her to enter. "The first time I entered a pageant, I truly did it just to have some fun," she said. "I wasn't even sure if I would love it or hate it."
She added, "I enjoyed making new friends ... as well as the healthy competition and the self-confidence that it helped me gain."
Each contestant chooses a "platform" - a cause that is important to her, for which she hopes to raise awareness and promote change. Ricco's platform is the prevention of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It is an issue that has affected her directly.
"When I was in middle school, my brother was involved with a drunk driving accident and lost someone very close to him," she recalled. "Watching my brother deal with this situation really took a [toll on] my family."
Ricco's goal is to win the Miss Long Island pageant so she can use her title to spread the word about the dangers of impaired driving. The winner holds the title for a year, during which she speaks in various places about her cause of choice. "This is a great platform to have because I can hopefully ... reach children in their teen years who may make the wrong decisions," Ricco said.
If she were to win Miss Long Island, she said, and go on to win the Miss New York USA pageant, she would have even more chances to speak out. "And then I can reach children in schools throughout New York," she said.
Although Ricco has yet to win a pageant, those who know her have faith in her. "She's extremely articulate and well-rounded," said Donaudy.
And she has maintained a positive outlook. "She doesn't come away with any negative attitude," said her mother. "She doesn't let it get her down. She figures she'll just try again next year."
"I have placed top 25 in the Miss New York USA system out of over 150 girls, and that was a huge accomplishment for me," Ricco said. "If I can place top 25, then I have the ability to win!"
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