Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2023 Jade Ferdinand is a 19-year old college freshman at the University of Connecticut where she majors in psychology. As a child, Jade grew up dancing, singing and modeling but in her teen years, she found her greatest success on the track. As a high school senior, she was a track and field captain, received regional and state recognitions and was instrumental in leading her sprint relay team to a bid at both the 2022 New Balance Indoor and Outdoor National Championships.
Jade’s venture into pageantry happened quite by chance when she found herself suffering from low self-esteem, anxiety and panic disorder, all of which were exacerbated by the pandemic. Pageantry (along with therapy) allowed her to work on her mental health, regain her self-confidence and helped her to rebuild her self-esteem. As such, Jade is an advocate for self-love, self-empowerment and mental health awareness for teens.In her free time, Jade enjoys staying physically active by biking, running and hiking. She also finds time to give back to her community through community service projects benefiting at-risk youth and families. She is an animal lover and volunteers weekly helping to care for puppies. As Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2023, Jade would like to serve as a role model for teens and adolescents, encouraging them to prioritize their mental health so that they can truly be the best versions of themselves: happy, healthy, confident – authentically you!