Rehoboth Native Is Crowned Miss Massachusetts 2016, 1st Runner Up Is From Mattapoisett

On Saturday, July 2, 2016, Miss Massachusetts was crowned at the 77th Annual Miss Massachusetts Pageant at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester.  21-year-old Alissa Musto, of Rehoboth came out on top and was crowned the winner.

Competing as Miss Cambridge, Musto was chosen from among 24 contestants as the winner.  She was awarded a $12,000 scholarship, and will compete at the Miss America Pageant in September in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

"Musto is a recent cum laude graduate of Harvard University earning a degree in Government in three years. She was selected as the student speaker at graduation. While at Harvard, she was the Chief of Staff for the Harvard Government/Legal Studies Club and a Harvard Reading Buddies Volunteer.  She is a House of Blues Alumni Advisory Board member, the Boston Symphony Orchestra Collegiate Ambassador and the volunteer Music Director at Dorchester Collegiate Academy."

She has many musical accomplishments such as being in the Top 10 out of 45,000 in KidzStarUSA Talent Search; the Justine Magazine Talent Search Winner; the Music & Arts national Find Your Voice winner; and the Wonderworld TV Piano Act of the Year. She has performed at the House of Blues, the Hard Rock Café, the Massachusetts State House and Foxwoods.  Musto performed on national TV at the age of nine and has released a CD of original music.

Musto is also a 2012 graduate of the Providence Country Day School and is the daughter of Billy and Janine Musto of Rehoboth.  She performed a piece on piano in the talent portion of the competition.

"During her year of service, she will highlight her platform, Changing Keys: Connecting Kids with Keyboards, as well as promoting The Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the national platform of the Miss America Organization."

"Musto was also the recipient of a $1,000 state Miss America Organization community service scholarship and a $350 Preliminary Talent Award sponsored by Miss Massachusetts 1970 Dr. Diana Dohrmann."

In addition to her scholarship awards, Musto also received the following:

• $1000 wardrobe allowance from the Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Foundation.
• $1000 wardrobe allowance from the Miss America Organization.
• Gift Certificate for Competition Evening Wear from Infusion Boutique.
• Official Crown, Crown Box and Crown Pin from the Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Foundation.
• Official Sash from the Sash Company.
• Hair care services from Studio 2000, the official hair stylist for Miss Massachusetts.
• Gas cards from CITGO Petroleum Corporation.

Other award winners were:

First runner up: Jillian Zucco of Mattapoisett: Competing as Miss South Coast, received a $3,000 scholarship. Zucco was also the recipient of the Dr. Robert Harney Preliminary Swimsuit Award sponsored by Katie Boyd’s Miss Fit Club in the amount of a $250 scholarship and a $150 scholarship as the Miss Miracle Maker which is awarded to the contestant who raises the most funds for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Second runner up: Brianna Bostick of East Taunton:  Competing as Miss Bristol County, received a $2,500 scholarship. She was also the recipient of a $350 Preliminary Talent Award sponsored by Miss Massachusetts 2001 Abbie Rabine Aristizabal.

Third runner up: Alyssa Weathersby of Jamaica Plain:  Competing as Miss Greater Worcester, received a $2000 scholarship.

Fourth runner up: Samantha Hawkins of Melrose:  Competing as Miss Fall River, received a $1750 scholarship. Hawkins also received the $350 Frederick T. McCarthy Interview Award.

Photo Caption: Top 5 from L to R: Miss Bristol County Brianna Bostick (2nd Runner Up); Miss South Coast Jillian Zucco (1st Runner Up); Miss Massachusetts Alissa Musto; Miss Greater Worcester Alyssa Weathersby (3rd Runner Up); Samantha Hawkins Miss Fall River (4th Runner Up)

The rest of the Semi-Finalists received a $350 scholarship and included:

Monique Vacon, of Monson, Miss Bay State

Maggie Markham, of Boston, Miss Boston

Kira Kopacz, of Boston, Miss Cranberry Country.  She was also the recipient of a $1000 State Miss America Academic award.

Kaitlyn Lima, of Mendon, Miss Lakeville.  Lima was also the recipient of the Online Voting award.

Gina Brazao, of Scituate, Miss Mayflower

Reneé Banks, of West Bridgewater, Miss Plymouth County

The other special award winner was:

Molly Caron, of Raynham, Miss Taunton, was the recipient of a $200 scholarship as the most talented non-finalist. This award was sponsored by Lauren Kuhn, Miss Massachusetts 2014.

The remaining contestants each awarded a $100 scholarship were:

Aubrie Przybysz, of Boston, Miss Middlesex County. She was also the recipient of the Dr. Robert Harney Preliminary Swimsuit Award sponsored by Katie Boyd’s Miss Fit Club in the amount of a $250 scholarship.

Sabrina Ponte, of North Reading, Miss Blackstone Valley

Joclyne Nunes, of Acushnet, Miss Central Massachusetts

Meghan Rubadou, of East Taunton, Miss Collegiate Area

Lyndsey Littlefield of East Taunton, Miss Commonwealth

Jennifer Bergeron, of Taunton, Miss Hampshire County

Emily Thomas, of Bridgewater, Miss Middleboro

Kristen Victoria Rose, of Dartmouth, Miss New Bedford

Anastasia Lusnia, of Easthampton, Miss Pioneer Valley

June Klemmer, of West Springfield, Miss Somerset

Samantha McGraw, of Brockton, Miss South Coast

Amanda Morton, of Otis, Miss Western Massachusetts

Information About Miss Massachusetts: "The Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Pageant is a preliminary to the Miss America Program, one of the nation’s leading achievement programs and the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. For more information, go to www.missmass.org."

With additional reporting by Sal Lopez