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Stamford's Kaitlyn Tarpey Prepares For Miss America Pageant

STAMFORD, Conn. — Growing up, Stamford’s Kaitlyn Tarpey was made fun of for her red hair and freckles. But now, she is preparing to represent Connecticut in the Miss America competition.

Kaitlyn Tarpey of Stamford was named Miss Connecticut on June 22 and will be vying for Miss America this September.

Kaitlyn Tarpey of Stamford was named Miss Connecticut on June 22 and will be vying for Miss America this September.

Photo Credit: Miss Connecticut website, Steve Smith

“I went through all of those awkward moments and was ridiculed,” said Tarpey, who was crowned Miss Connecticut last month. She said that with the support of her family, she was able to grow into her beauty. “I am totally confident in the person I’ve become.”

Tarpey decided to compete in her first pageant several years ago, when she won Miss Rocky Hill in 2011, to be able to do Irish dancing again as well as to raise scholarship money for college. But Tarpey said she grew up playing sports and being competitive, not wearing gowns or high heels.

“If you see me around Stamford, 90 percent of the time I am not in a dress and high heels,” she said. But she has won $12,200 in scholarships and hopes for more in the national competition.

She is hoping for the same success and confidence in Atlantic City, N.J., this September for the Miss America competition because that is how she won Miss Connecticut on June 22. “If it’s good for Miss Connecticut then it’s got to be good for Miss America,” said Tarpey, who is hoping to break the 80-year streak since the last Miss Connecticut won the Miss America crown.

Tarpey was born in France, where her family lived while her father played professional basketball there. They moved to Long Island when she was 5, staying for a year and a half before moving to Stamford, where they have been since. 

A graduate of Loomis Chaffee, she is now a student at Pace University’s Honors College. Tarpey has one more semester, which she said she may complete next spring depending on her schedule. She says she doesn’t know what the future holds because she is trying to focus on the present.

The Miss America Competition will take place from Sept. 10 through Sept. 15. The final events Sept. 15 will be aired live on ABC-TV.

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