CONTACT: Steve Smith, Vice-president
vp@missctamerica.org
860-849-3863
Hamden woman crowned Miss Connecticut 2014
Hamden’s Acacia Courtney is the 86th woman to represent Connecticut in the Miss America
Organization, and will compete for the title of Miss America in Atlantic City in September
New London, Conn. (June 28, 2014) – Acacia Courtney, 21, of Hamden was crowned Miss
Connecticut 2014 at the Garde Arts Center in New London. Seventeen women from across the state of
Connecticut competed for the title. She competed as Miss Hamden, and was previously Miss
Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen 2009.
Courtney is majoring in Communications with a concentration in Journalism, and minoring in
Theology. She is the founder and president of Racing for Home, Inc., a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization dedicated to rescuing and retraining thoroughbred ex-racehorses for new careers beyond
the racetrack. A life-long animal lover, Acacia wants to enter the racing industry professionally as a
broadcast journalist specializing in horse racing.
Acacia promotes the personal platform of “The Monday Campaigns: A Guide to a Healthier World,”
which advocates for small, easy-to-adopt changes that can result in major health improvements. She
believes that the United States is becoming unhealthier as a nation, and it is the core goal of her
platform to address the way we approach the concept of health. The Monday Campaigns is a nonprofit
health initiative that encompasses the entire approach to health consciousness. Acacia advocates for
Meatless Monday, Move It Monday, and Kids Cook Monday, encouraging alterations to our daily
lifestyle that can be influential in creating a healthy body, a healthy mind, and a healthy world.
Acacia is an accomplished dancer and performed ballet en pointe during the talent portion of
competition, but is also proficient in jazz, musical theater, and international ballroom dance styles. She
has studied at Steps on Broadway, the Joffrey Ballet School, and American Ballet Theatre, and was
named a semifinalist in the 2009 Youth American Ballet Grand Prix Ballet Competition out of 90
contestants. She was also selected as a dancer in the opening number of the 2011 Victoria’s Secret
Fashion Show on CBS.
Courtney will compete for the title of Miss America 2015 in Atlantic City, beginning on Sept. 9 –
Finals are on Sept. 14.
Cynthia Moura Dias was crowned Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen. Moura, 14, is from Wolcott
and previously held the title of Miss Wolcott’s Outstanding Teen.
Dias is an honor student in advanced level classes at Wolcott High School where she is an active
member of her school community, and is Freshman Class President. Cynthia’s passion is the
Importance of Literacy which she’s been working on since the tender age of 8, and she does not plan on
stopping anytime soon. In fact, she founded a literacy program, Reading Is Succeeding, in her
hometown of Wolcott with more than 25 children now attending. She has also teamed up with various
state nonprofit organizations to raise awareness of the importance of literacy.
She has received numerous awards for her academics and service, not only in her community but also at
a state level; some of them including: the Secretary of the State’s Excellence in Citizenship Award and
the Waterbury Youth Excellence in Community Service Award. Cynthia was very excited to be inducted
into the National Junior Honor Society, attend the National Young Leaders State Conference, nominated
as a United States People-to-People Student Ambassador 5 years in a row. Additionally, as a Johns
Hopkins scholar she attended a Biotechnology Summer Program for talented youth.
As a freshman, she made the varsity soccer team where she serves as a leader both on and off the field.
From ballet to ballroom dance to her new found passion playing guitar, which is added to her list of
instruments the violin and clarinet. The arts have always been a major influence in her life.
The most important aspect in Cynthia’s life is her family. From eating dinner every night to spending
Sunday afternoon with family members enables her to share her hopes and dreams with them. She
believes that the secret to her success is the love and support from her family.
Dias will compete for the title of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen in Orlando, Florida, July 29 – Aug.
2.
For more information, interviews, or media appearances, please contact Steve Smith, Vice President of
the Miss Connecticut Scholarship Corporation, at vp@missctamerica.org or 860-849-3863.
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About The Miss Connecticut Scholarship Corporation
The Miss Connecticut Scholarship Corporation is a non-profit organization that awards scholarships to
outstanding young women to help advance them academically and professionally. Participants have
gone on to achieve major success in diverse fields including medicine, law, business, broadcast
journalism, theater, politics, literature and more.
The Miss Connecticut Pageant is an official preliminary of the Miss America Pageant, the nation's
leading achievement program and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance to young
women.
Participation in this program provides young women with the opportunity to promote a platforms of
community service, share their talents, intelligence, and positive values while serving as role models in
their communities, all with the support of dedicated volunteers assisting them in their pursuit of
academic excellence, service and lifelong success.