Meet Miss Long Island

PROFILE
Written By Krista DeMaio
 

The recently crowned Kristen Rosario shares how she found inner strength and healing through pageant life—and how she’s spreading her message of hope to women across Long Island.

 

King Aaron Photography.

 

At just 22, Kristen Rosario of East Northport is many things: a mental health advocate, a mother, a student, and now, the reigning Miss Long Island. But her story isn’t one of glitter and gowns alone. It’s one of grit, resilience, and finding purpose in the unlikeliest of places.

Rosario first stepped into the pageant world at 15, after seeing an ad for Miss New York Teen USA during one of the darkest times in her life. “I wasn’t confident. I was going through a lot,” she shares. “I needed something to look forward to.” Pageantry offered not just a distraction, but a lifeline—a way to channel her energy into something empowering.

She didn’t just find rhinestones and runways. She found community, a cause, and a voice. After competing in several local pageants, Rosario went from landing in the Top 10 last year to winning the crown this year. But her biggest win? “Pageants helped me find a strength I didn’t know I had,” she says. That strength was hard-won.

Rosario is a suicide attempt survivor and now uses her platform to speak openly about mental health. She shares her journey with teens and young adults through her initiative “Uplift and Inspire,” hoping to show that a brighter future is possible, even when it doesn’t feel that way. “I’m showing them that I'm someone who struggled and was in that dark place but found my light at the end of the tunnel,” she says. “There's a light at the end of their tunnel, too.”

This year, she made history as the first Miss Long Island to hold the title while also being a mother. Her son, who is nonverbal and on the autism spectrum, is her biggest cheerleader. “He loves the sparkly crown and sash,” she says, beaming. “And I love showing him that dreams—no matter how big—are worth chasing.”

Rosario’s message to fellow moms is just as powerful: Motherhood doesn’t limit you. “We are not only capable of achieving our dreams but also worthy of them.”

As she prepares for the upcoming state pageant, Rosario hopes her story continues to break stereotypes around pageantry. “There’s no mold for a pageant girl,” she says. “Being authentic is what wins the crown.”

Pageant-Prep Beauty Picks

With and without her crown, Rosario keeps her glam routine local and real. Here are a few of her go-to spots:

  • Threading & Nails: Maya at Victoria’s Nails and Spa in East Northport keeps her brows and mani perfect.

  • Hair: Sara at Salon 214 West in East Northport cuts and colors her hair. Rosario is also getting stage-ready with glam extensions by Nikki Orlando, a fellow pageant queen who won Miss Long Island Teen and Miss New York Teen USA.

  • Skin: “My cousin, @esthetics.by.eliza, just became an esthetician, so she gave me a little skincare routine.”

  • Spray Tan: The Bronzed Bar, Inc.“We just got a tanning sponsor for the pageant, which I’m very excited for!”

  • Wax: “I get my waxing done by Nicole at A Brazilian Reasons. She makes the process comfortable—it’s a safe space for girls to feel their most confident.”

In Her Makeup Bag

 
 

We’ll be cheering on Rosario as she competes for Miss New York later this summer. Follow her journey on Instagram at @kristenrosario and @longislandpageants.

 


 
Krista DeMaio
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