EDITED JULY 7, 2022
Orlando, January 9, 2022 – Miss Earth USA announces their newly crowned 2022 winners for the Teen, Mrs., and Miss divisions of the competition. As part of their coronation, these three crowned representatives pledge to raise awareness about environmental issues and advocate for more sustainable living throughout their reign as the 2022 titleholders.
In the Teen Miss Earth USA division, the coveted title went to Teen Miss Pennsylvania Presley Patrick. Presley is a freshman college student at Coastal Carolina University studying Communications with hopes of becoming a news anchor for a major news corporation or a sports broadcaster following graduation.
As with every Miss Earth USA representative, Presley takes on an environmental cause as her pageant platform. With her college being near the ocean, her focus is on Sea The Future – a local organization she founded that is dedicated to cleaning up public beaches.
“I am really excited to have this national title now so I can go out there to do community service and make a difference. I am also looking forward to promoting my personal platform Sea The Future which is committed to cleaning up our shores and protecting our precious marine life. I am simply cannot wait to bring awareness to these issues on a greater level with the support of the Miss Earth USA organization,” says the newly crowned teen queen.
In addition to her work with Sea The Future, Presley also enjoys volunteering at local food banks, animal shelters, and hospitals. She is also the recipient of the Coastal Carolina merit award scholarship for scholastic achievement.
The first runner-up was Teen Miss Georgia Isabella Bloedorn. The remaining top five included Virginia, Kentucky and Michigan.
The Mrs. USA Earth title went to Christine Rich of Delaware. Christine is the owner of Blue Palm Airbrush Studio and is a Technology Professor at Wilmington University. She is currently completing her Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership & Innovation. After swapping from Mrs. to Dr., Christine hopes to continue advancing technological resources in higher education and to inspire even more young entrepreneurs to make their dreams come true.
“I am so elated! This has been a four-year journey for me and I am looking forward to going into my community and making an impact,” says Christine. “I want to use this title to put focus on my work with oceanic conservation that I do through my non-profit the Spout Initiative. With this organization I create free lesson plans for teachers who are then able to seamlessly incorporate those ideas and practices of environmentalism into their own lesson plans. I also want to highlight all the other women that have been on this journey with me and put focus on their work and what they’re doing in their local communities as well. It is our collective work that will truly make meaningful impact for the planet.”
Christine is proud to be one of her university’s Green Team Organization Leaders, Invisible Disabilities Ambassador, and a Center for the Inland Bays volunteer. She also runs a TEDTalk for women entrepreneurship, is a member and volunteer for the Science Cheerleaders, and believes in leaving behind a legacy full of gratitude, inspiration, and passion.
In the Mrs. Division, first runner up went to Maggie Lemay of New Hampshire. Remaining top five were Minnesota, New Jersey and Florida.
And lastly, the much-anticipated 2022 Miss Earth USA title is awarded to Brielle Simmons of Connecticut. Age 21, Simmons is a student at St. John’s University in New York City, majoring in Legal Studies with a focus on Environmental Law. She is the co-founder of the non-profit organization Bringing Me Sunshine, dedicated to combating homelessness and poverty by providing environmental resources to children and families. In 2019, Simmons placed Top 4 at the Teen Miss Earth USA competition.
As Miss Earth USA, Simmons is awarded prizes, travel and endorsements valued at over $100,000. She serves as spokesperson for We Clean Trails, the Still She Rose mental health initiative, Central Florida Animal Reserve and other conservation efforts. Additionally, Simmons will have many fashion and media opportunities such as Miami Swim Week and New York Fashion Week. Later this year, Simmons will represent the USA at the Miss Earth® competition based in the Philippines.
Miss Earth USA first runner up was awarded to Faith Porter of the District of Columbia. Remaining top five were Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Oklahoma.
The 2022 Miss Earth USA activities and competition were held January 6-8 at the Orange County Convention Center with the preliminary rounds being hosted by the Rosen Centre Hotel. Delegates from fifty States and District of Columbia competed in the prestigious pageant including activewear, runway, and eveningwear preliminaries, followed by the final judging and final coronation.
Presented by AquaGoat, the Miss Earth USA final coronation was broadcast live on the VIP Pageantry channel. Other sponsors for the event include HOTWORX, Beauty Queens Galore, and Queenly. Additional events during the week included a charity gala benefitting Save the Manatee, Central Florida Animal Reserve, and Seal Society of San Diego, and a presentation of a new national crown designed by Andrew Ibot.
About Miss Earth USA
“Beauties for a Cause” is the key message for the Miss Earth USA organization which holds an annual pageant dedicated to bringing awareness to environmental issues and actively participating in projects that support green causes. Their work includes tree plantings, children's education, local clean-ups, water distribution, climate leadership training, and countless other activities that make a positive impact on our planet. Among industry ratings, Miss Earth USA is one of the top ranked pageants and is a nationally televised production.
Image Credit: Moda Chic Photography
