Northfield’s Tori Mozitis fired up to be the new Miss New Jersey
NORTHFIELD – Newly crowned Miss New Jersey Tori Mozitis of Northfield had no idea what she was getting into when she first started competing in the iconic Miss America Organization.
Mozitis first heard about the competitions through her father’s co-worker, a local director for the organization.
“His co-worker approached him about two years ago and asked if I would be interested in doing a local competition and my dad kind of signed me up there,” Mozitis said last week.
It was in the middle of the COVID pandemic and Mozitis was just itching to perform because theaters had been closed.
“I decided to try it and I was actually second runner-up at that competition. Then I guess you could say I was just bitten by the bug. I loved it and I loved all of the girls,” she said. “So I decided to try again and I did. I won Miss Gloucester County and that gave me my first ticket to Miss New Jersey and I’ve been here ever since.”
While winning Miss New Jersey at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City on Saturday night, June 17, has been like a dream come true, it has been a transition.
“It was crazy. I felt like I was going back and forth between this high and feeling so grateful and excited for the year (to come) but also I was very overwhelmed, to be honest with you,” she said. “I wrote this actually in an Instagram post the other day. I think there is a fear of losing yourself because Miss New Jersey is a servant to her community and all you do is give and give and give so I had this realization that I need to make sure my cup is full before I give to others.”
Fortunately, Mozitis has a support system to help her throughout this year of service. “I have an amazing family and amazing friends that have been checking in on me already,” Mozitis said.
While Miss New Jersey is a role model, she also has a regular life.
“My roommates were talking and my one friend was like, ‘Do you think she will still be able to go out to dinner with us?’” Her other friend responded, “That’s her job to make sure she’s doing these normal things that still set her soul on fire and to be with people who set her soul on fire.” Mozitis said that friend made clear they were there for support because it’s their job “to make sure she’s not losing herself in this job.”
Mozitis’ year as Miss New Jersey is just starting. While she will be representing the Garden State at Miss America in January, she also plans to make sure she is still setting her soul on fire.
“I’m competing in Miss America. We don’t have a date for the competition yet but I will be in the Miss America Competition 2024. So I’m definitely looking forward to that the most,” she said. “Just preparing for that and because I was a musical theater major in college I still will be performing and auditioning for whatever I can while being Miss New Jersey.” She graduated this past May with her degree from Rider University.
“New Jersey holds so much of Miss America’s history, but I still think people in New Jersey don’t know who Miss America is or who Miss New Jersey is or what she represents. And I just want to be the person who changes that,” Mozitis said.
“I am such a people person so by building interpersonal connections with the community and everyone that I get the chance to meet will help everyone know that while I am a representative of this amazing organization, I am also just a real person,” Mozitis said.
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By CAMRYN SCHULTHEIS/For the Sentinel
