VERGENNES — Bridport resident Erin Connor, 22, was crowned Miss Vermont 2017 at the Vergennes Opera House on Friday evening.
Connor, a 2013 graduate of Middlebury Union High School, is a student at the University of Vermont, where she is studying Public Communication. She performed American Sign Language to the song “The Greatest Love of All” in the talent portion of the competition. Members of the deaf community from Vermont and Massachusetts attended the show to see her perform.
Connor lives her platform “Tailwinds: Training a New Generation of Female Scientists” through her many years promoting STEM and sharing her experience as a pilot across the state.
“As Miss Vermont, I will expand the experiments, connections, and programs open to young women who need to believe in themselves and reach for the sky and their limitless possibilities,” she said.
Erin, the daughter of Paul and Marian Connor of Bridport, will represent the state at the Miss America pageant in historic Atlantic City in September.
The Miss Vermont program also crowned their teen ambassador on Saturday.  Jenna Lawrence, 16, of St. Albans is the new Miss Vermont’s Outstanding Teen.  A singer, she performed “Jar of Hearts” during the show. Lawrence is a junior at BFA St. Albans and will be promoting her platform, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Advocacy and Awareness.
“I’m thrilled to be able to reach so many more people in Vermont as Miss Vermont’s Outstanding Teen,” Lawrence. “My experience advocating for Alzheimer’s awareness has been so fulfilling and I can’t wait to hit the ground running in this new role.”
Lawrence will represent the state of Vermont at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition in Florida this August.
The mission of the Miss Vermont organization is to promote personal and professional development, civic consciousness, service, higher education, and integrity.   THE NEWLY CROWNED Miss Vermont Erin Connor, right, and Miss Vermont’s Outstanding Teen Jenna Lawrence acknowledge the applause the crowd is giving them in the Vergennes Opera House this past Friday evening.
Photo courtesy of Jon Adams Photography