It's been 17 years since a Staten Islander has won Miss New York. Now, an Eltingville native has earned the crown.
It was the fourth year in a row Jamie Lynn Macchia competed for Miss New York. It was the first time she won the title Sunday night at the St. George Theatre.
"To represent my hometown in the Miss America Pageant. It's just going to be incredible," Macchia said.
Macchia first started competing in pageants when she was a senior at Staten Island Tech. For the talent portion, the 23-year-old performed "I was here" by Beyonce. She has been a dancer most of her life. This was the last year Macchia was eligible to compete because of her age.
"It pushed me to give it everything I had. It was amazing," she added.
Macchia won more than 25,000 dollars for college. Miss New York is sponsored by the Miss America Organization. The non-profit provides educational scholarships to women all around the world. Macchia says her mission is to spread awareness about pediatric cancer. She lost her friend to Leukemia when she was 15 years old.
"I saw first hand the affects the affects this disease can have not only on a child but a family. I had to do something about it," Macchia said.
Through events she has helped organized, Macchia has raised more than 50,000 dollars for kids with cancer. The recent Miss New York's have made history. The last three have become Miss America, making New York the only state to have national titles. Macchia will make appearances across the state up until the Miss America Pageant which is scheduled for September. Her message is never give up, win or lose.
"Rejection in any circumstance should only push you forward more," she added.