Alyssa Maitoza, a seventeen year-old senior at Dartmouth High School, will travel to Orlando, FL to represent Massachusetts at the twelfth annual Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Scholarship Pageant. From July 30 through August 6, 51 national contestants will be welcomed to Orlando for a week of press events, rehearsals, and community appearances leading up to the selection of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen 2017. Allie Nault of New Hampshire the reigning MAOTeen, will be crowning her successor on Saturday evening, August 6.

Fifty-one contestants, each representing their states along with the District of Columbia, will showcase their talents and compete for over $150,000 in scholarship assistance and the opportunity to travel the United States promoting scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community service for America's teens.

Maitoza, competing as Miss New Bedford’s Outstanding Teen, won the title of Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen in April at the state competition. A member of the Dartmouth High School National Honor Society, she has consistently been on the honor roll throughout her school career and is enrolled in AP and honors level classes. She received a perfect score on the 2013 English MCAS and achieved a 4/5 on the AP Human Geography test. Her leadership skills are many and varied. She is the Assistant and Alumni Choreographer for the South Coast Children’s Theatre, the 2014-2015 Vice President of the DHS Harmonix A Capella Club, the choreographer of the school’s production of “A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley”, and an Executive Board Member and performer at Princesses of New Bedford.

Volunteerism has played a very important role in Alyssa’s life with over 300 hours of community service activities each year. She has volunteered many hours with the Showstoppers Vocal Troupe, a group of young entertainers who perform in nursing homes, assisted living programs, and senior centers in Southeastern Massachusetts. She has also volunteered at local organizations such as Gifts to Give, Mercy Meals and More, as well as singing in the St. Mary’s Church choir. Alyssa recently planned and hosted a fundraiser where she raised almost $2000 to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, which is the National Platform of the MAOTeen organization. She has trained extensively in dance for many years and is a member of a National award-winning competition dance team. She has twice performed lead roles for her school’s drama club, most recently portraying Ariel in The Little Mermaid. She also has training in flute, piano, and voice. In her spare time, she enjoys modeling, writing poetry, and spending time with her 103 year-old great grandmother. She also works two part-time jobs.

Alyssa is using her title as Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen to spread awareness through her platform entitled The Arts in Action. Her year of service will be devoted to educating individuals of all ages about the benefits of the arts in schools.

“If crowned Miss America’s Outstanding Teen I will travel to different states to jumpstart youth theater programs in areas not currently enriched in the arts. I’ve always promoted youth theater as the “Little League” of Broadway. Every successful performer started exactly where I did: in youth theater. Youth theater provides a creative outlet for children while sparking their interest in the arts at a young age,” she said.

Alyssa is the daughter of Ray and Jodie Maitoza of Dartmouth. After graduation, she plans to attend college where she will double major in Musical Theatre and English/Communications. Her career ambition is to become a Certified Music Therapist and perform on Broadway. Alyssa will represent the Commonwealth in Orlando, Florida in August as she competes for the title of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen 2017.