An inspirational Bronxite is one of nearly 200 women competing to be crowned this year’s Miss New York.
Mott Haven native Lyncee Ann Stroman will participate in the Miss New York USA pageant from Friday, January 12 to Sunday, January 14 at Purchase College’s Performing Arts Center.
Fresh out of college, the 22-year-old St. Thomas Aquinas College alumna is employed as a full-time case manager at Bronx County Re-entry Task Force for recent parolees.
Having majored in Criminal Justice and minored in Forensic Psychology, Stroman is dedicated to bringing reform to the criminal justice system.
“I was inspired to major in this field because I’ve seen a lot of people in my community come in and out of the criminal justice system and I wanted to help prevent them from continuing down the wrong path,” she explained. “Minoring in Forensic Psychology taught me what causes people to commit crimes and has allowed me to learn and spot the different mental disorders people may have.”
Serving as a liaison between the parolees and their parole officers, Stroman assists recent parolees by making program referrals, completing assessments and treatment plans while maintaining strong friendships built upon trust and understanding.
“These people are often stigmatized given their past and don’t have anyone to turn to for guidance,” she said. “By helping these people, I want them to know that there is always someone there for them.”
In keeping with her humanitarian nature, Stroman volunteers every Tuesday as a tutor at the Boys and Girls Club of Parkchester.
Here she assists local children with homework preparation and entertaining extracurricular activities while serving as a role model for the center’s Teen Talk sessions.
“It’s always exciting for me to interact with the youth, to see what issues are plaguing them and their generation and what we can both learn from each other’s perspective,” expressed Stroman.
She credits her education for her incredible accomplishments.
In her last two weeks of college, Stroman discovered a post on Instagram advertising the Miss New York USA pageant and decided to apply.
Three days after submitting her application, the aspiring model was interviewed by the pageant committee and named a finalist the very next day.
“It’s honestly a bit nerve-wracking, but I’m going to try my best to represent both the south Bronx and my borough in a very positive way,” she expressed.
Stroman is also an author for The Odyssey Online, a platform with over 15,000 contributing writers; 1,200 communities and over 30 million readers nationwide.
She has written several political poems and articles on various topics including health, education, family and advice on pageant preparation.
To view Stroman’s works, visit www.theod
Health is another issue dear to Stroman, as a vegetarian who frequently exercises.
She has expressed interest in becoming a personal trainer or fitness instructor.
To stay up to date with Stroman’s journey, visit her Instagram at lyncee_s and Facebook at Lyn Stroman.
