The Miss New York organization hosted the coronation ceremony for Miss New York 2021 at the Paramount Theatre in Peekskill on 31st May 2021 where Sydney Park was crowned as the new queen, succeeding Miss New York 2020 Lauren Molella for the title.
Sydney Park is a 25-year-old Scottish-Korean woman. She is an advocate for increasing girls' participation in sports as a youth soccer coach and volunteer for South Bronx United. She will now represent New York at Miss America 2021 in December. Sydney graduated from Columbia University in 2018 with a degree in American Studies and currently works as a full-time law student entering my third year at Fordham and has had the opportunity to intern at the New York State Supreme Court in the chambers of Justice Andrew Borrok and Justice Joel Cohen.
Miss New York 2021 Sydney Park’s court includes:
First runner-up: Taryn Smith
Second runner-up: Marisa Gomez
Third runner-up: Natalie Ragazzo
Fourth runner-up: Serena Exantus
The diva is not new to the world of beauty pageants as she was adjudged as the first runner-up at Miss New York 2019 and is passionate about representing her city at the national pageant and using the platform to create a significant change in society. She expressed her gratitude towards everyone who had been a part of her journey and helped her to stay motivated and confident throughout the competition.
Talking about her predecessor, Sydney had shared, "Lauren taught me that there is so much more to gain from this competition than just a title and she taught me how important it is to carry the spirit of the crown with you always. Few can rival her passion for service and fewer still who can rival her heart. "
The diva is an eloquent speaker who describes Miss America as a combination of volunteer work, women’s empowerment of education, scholarship, and business. She feels excited about being a part of such a prestigious organization that is going to complete its 100 years and crown its 100th queen in December. Sydney volunteers for her South Bronx United Soccer Team and mentions that it is so much fun to be able to play with young girls and women every Saturday. She is also a volunteer with Candlelighters NYC, a childhood cancer foundation that supports children with cancer and their families through all stages: from discovery to remission.
Sydney, in an interview, explained that she is so grateful that she had the opportunity to compete in Miss New York because beauty pageants have helped her to build up confidence, and acquire skills that will help her in the future. She made it clear during the interview, that people need to understand that beauty pageant are not restricted to just women wearing evening gowns and walking on-stage but so much more than that. Beauty pageants help in the overall development of an individual as she can answer questions eloquently and quickly.
The beauty queen’s focus of her business plan as Miss New York is on financial and organizational growth. Her plan is based on a proactive strategy to build a solid financial foundation that is supported by a combination of large financial donors and smaller sponsors. “Proactivity is necessary in creating relationships and promoting partnerships across New York State which is why, in my first two months of being Miss New York, I will be undertaking a tour across New York to meet with various Chambers of Commerce and their members to continue fostering relationships and connections. Leveraging my professional network that I have built after two years working professionally in NYC before and during law school, we can get the Miss New York brand in front of companies that it has never been before,” she explained.
The diva also does original spoken word poetry and describes the talent round of the competition as her favourite. She is confident, strong, powerful, and extremely focused on winning and making a significant change in society and for herself. With her confidence, determination, and comfort on-stage, Sydney Park surely seems to be a strong contender for Miss America 2021.
Congratulations!