Stephanie Finoti, Miss Ohio 2024 - Miss America 2025 Fundraiser

 Stephanie's Journey to Win the Miss America 2025 Crown
December 28, 2024 - January 5, 2025

~ The Miss America Crown Represents ~
Service ~ Success ~ Style ~ Scholarship ~ Sisterhood

Stephanie identifies as a Latina & is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, & English.  Her parents immigrated from Brazil in 2001 & she grew up in the City of Whitehall, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio.  If she wins Miss America 2025, Stephanie will be the first Brazilian-American to wear the Miss America Crown!

Stephanie knows the challenges when parents are immigrants with limited funds to help to attain their children's dreams.  She wants to encourage students growing up in disadvantaged communities by giving them HOPE.  Her message is, "Your circumstances do not define your success.  So dare to Dream Big!"

Stephanie's Miss America's wardrobe budget is only $1,500.  So, she is 'thrifting' at resale stores & shopping clearance racks.  She is also partnering with vendors for deep discounts or in-kind donations.

Stephanie wants to encourage girls, from America's diverse population, to take dance lessons.  Her show will feature a ballet from The Ebony Nutcracker performed by the Elite Performance Dance Academy, a minority-owned dance studio.

Stephanie is competing in the Miss America Organization's pageants in hopes of winning scholarships to attend medical school.  Over her four years at the University of Cincinnati, she has received 16 academic scholarships.  In June 2025,  she will receive her B.S. in Biomedical Science & plans to attend medical school to become a Pediatrician.

Good Luck Stephanie!

Stephanie's Journey to Win the Miss Ohio 2024 Crown

Miss Whitehall Pageants
Stephanie started competing in pageants & performing her dancing talent in 2007.  
She won all the Miss Whitehall Pageant's age groups in 2007, 2012, 2015 & 2018.

Miss Greater Columbus 2023
Stephanie was Miss Greater Columbus 2023 in the Miss Ohio 2023 Pageant.
She placed in the top 10 & won the Americanism Award & Tim Guinn Spirit of Miss Ohio Award.

Miss Shawnee 2024
Stephanie won Miss Shawnee & the Talent Award to compete for Miss Ohio 2024.

Miss Ohio 2024
Stephanie was crowned Miss Ohio 2024 on June 15 in Mansfield, Ohio & won a $10,000 scholarship.  Stephanie also won the Talent Competition with her performance as Kitri, Act 3, in the "Don Quixote" ballet.  She also won the Miss Ohio Fitness, & Women in STEM Awards.
             

Stephanie Finoti's Whitehall Story

Stephanie's parents, Ronaldo & Telma Finoti, immigrated from Brazil in 2001 & settled in Whitehall, OH.  Her parents experienced challenges that many immigrants face:  economic, language, loss of community, etc.  Her dad's first job in Whitehall was working at the Golden Coral; but her mother was unable to transfer her Brazilian nurse's license.  Stephanie was born in 2002.  Her brother Sean was born in 2013 & is a student at Rosemore Junior High School.

Stephanie attended Holy Spirit Academy from K-4th grade.  She was a student at Whitehall City Schools' Etna Road Elementary, Rosemore Junior High, Whitehall-Yearling High School (WYHS) & the Eastland-Fairfield Technical Center.  

Stephanie was 2-years old when she started dance classes at the Whitehall Recreation Center because a doctor recommended dance lessons to help straighten her bowed legs.  She took classes at the Columbus Ballet Company & the New Albany Dance Academy.  To afford her ballet classes, Stephanie & her mother stayed after her classes ended to clean practice studios for 10 years.  Stephanie also taught ballet classes.  In high school she performed in The Nutcracker (below), the WYHS Show Choir & was the Dance Captain her senior year. 

Stephanie's Eastland-Fairfield's work-study program was at the OSU James Cancer Center.  She impressed her doctors & nurses who told her that instead of becoming a nurse, she was "smart enough to become a doctor". After receiving many academic scholarships, Stephanie enrolled at the University of Cincinnati.

Stephanie believes in giving back to her community.  She partnered with Whitehall Mayor Michael Bivens to distribute computers to students who had perfect attendance over their summer school program; thus helping bridge gaps in educational resources at Whitehall City Schools.

 University of Cincinnati

Stephanie enrolled at the University of Cincinnati in the fall of 2020.  After recovering from a broken foot in high school, Stephanie also enrolled for ballet classes at the College Conservatory of Music prep academy.  

Stephanie is a scientist at Cincinnati's Children's Hospital's Fetal Therapy Center & a nurse aid.  She was selected to present her research at the "Undergraduate Scholarship Showcase in Medical Frontiers" Forum.  In 2024 Stephanie helped Cincinnati Hughes STEM School students obtain internships through the Tri-Health Hospital system.  She also partnered with the University of Cincinnati & the Cincinnati's Children's Hospital to connect high school students with college STEM professionals to pursue STEM careers. https://www.thatstemgirl.org

Stephanie will graduate with a B.S. in Biomedical Science in the spring of 2025 & plans to attend medical school to become a Pediatrician.