North Fork Native Competes In Miss Long Island Teen 2024 Pageant

NORTH FORK, NY — One Mattituck teen is poised to see a new chapter of her life unfold as she takes to the stage to compete in the Miss Long Island Teen 2024 pageant.

Kayia Shalvey, 17, and a senior at Mattituck High School, has been named a finalist in the competition, which is set to take place on January 13 at the Madison Theatre at Molloy College in Rockville Centre.

Kayia's mom Mary said if her daughter wins, her next step will be to prepare for the Miss NY Teen USA competition.

"This is a rare and amazing opportunity in our small community," Mary said. "So many local businesses have sponsored her to support this journey."

Speaking with Patch, Kayia said she's modeled for a local North Fork photographer Donna Pradas, who helms LaurelEye Imagery, "and really loved it." The experience she garnered sparked her interest in taking the next step toward realizing her dreams. She sent in the application for the Miss Long Island Teen competition and heard back right away.

"This is my first pageant, so it's all really new to me," Kayia said. "I'm just really excited."

For Kayia, who has a penchant for fashion, the competition is a chance to explore all the facets of the pageant experience. From the first, modeling has piqued Kayia's interest. "It would be cool if I could model full-time," she said. "It's always been a dream of mine."

As a child, she'd go to the supermarket with her mother and dream of being on the covers of the magazines that she saw there. She's done some work for Child Couture and Teen Couture magazines, she said.

Her new dream has helped Kayia to blossom, she said.

With the pandemic, and online studies for the past two years, Kayia said she'd felt a bit isolated, less social and talkative.

"I feel as though this is opening me up a lot more. I'm starting to feel like a part of me is coming back," she said.

Kayia thanked the many hometown businesses who have come forward to support her dream, including LaurelEye Imagery, Jan's Chinese Food, Lucharitos, the Brick Cove Marina, the North Fork Academy of Dance, the Cutchogue Fire Department and Auxiliary, and Santa's Christmas Tree Farm.

She has also created a GoFundMe, "Kayia Towards Her First Pageant"; funds garnered from donations are helpful toward application and all other fees associated with the pageant, she said.

"It feels really, really good to have community support," Kayia said. "People have been so generous."

For Kayia, the experience still feels like a dream. "I never thought I'd really be in a pageant," she said. "But when I started doing photo shoots, I found that there was a part of me that wanted to learn more."

She added: "If I won, I would just be speechless. Just imagine it. It would be crazy if that could happen!"

Kayia said she's been excited about the entire experience. "It's really different and new," she said. "I've never done anything like this before."

Living on the North Fork, surrounded by her close and loving family, Kayia said she found the support and encouragement to spread her wings and soar. And no matter how far her dreams take her, Kayia said, "Home is always waiting for you."

Mary couldn't be more proud of her daughter. "I’ve always taught Kayia to believe in herself — that she can do anything she dreams or wishes in life. To see Kayia taking on this pageant with such confidence and poise is truly wonderful. I see her chasing this pageant dream with such a fiery passion. As her mom, I have always been her biggest supporter as I cheered her on chasing her dreams. This pageant dream is special. What a honor to be named a finalist in Miss Long Island Teen. I couldn’t be prouder of all her hard work and determination."

She also wanted to thank the North Fork for their steadfast faith in her girl.

"To the local community, we are so grateful for all the support. I don’t think there is anywhere quite as special as our beloved North Fork. The way this town rallies around each other to support accomplishments or to help those in times of need is amazing. Now, to see it firsthand with the town supporting Kayia as she competes for Miss Long Island Teen is truly amazing. We want to give a huge thank you to everyone for all their love and support. "

Looking ahead, Kayia would also love to play a meaningful part in changing the public's perception of beauty. She'd like to see models and pageants become "more realistic" and portray women in all the many ways that they are, indeed, beautiful. "It should be realistic, because all the young girls are looking up to these girls."

She added: "Things have definitely gotten better, but social media is still a little unrealistic. We need to show little girls that they are beautiful, the way they are."

When not modeling, Kayia also enjoys dance; she's been dancing since she was 2 and now student teaches at the North Fork Academy of Dance.

"Dance has given me a lot of confidence," she said.

When asked what she'd tell other young girls looking to pursue a dream, Kayia said: "There are always going to be 'what ifs.' You just have to take your risks. In the end, I believe everything does happen for a reason. Your dreams are going to happen, if those are the dreams you're meant to have — the dreams that are meant for you."

To donate to Kayia's GoFundMe, click here.