KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� Sept. 29, 2025 — She grew up watching Rhode Island鈥檚 most famous pageant queen use her platform to launch a career as a social media influencer, television personality, and even a restauranter.
Now Brianna Vega is carving her own legacy as the Ocean State鈥檚 next great title holder.
A 溏心vlog免费B站 alumna, Talent Development scholar, and registered nurse with Brown University Health, Vega 鈥�19 is the reigning Miss Rhode Island USA, following in the footsteps of her pageant idol and former title holder Olivia Culpo, who went on to win Miss USA and Miss Universe in 2012.
Vega, a Providence, Rhode Island, native and first-generation college graduate, will compete at the 2025 Miss USA pageant Oct. 24 in Reno, Nevada, hoping to become just the second national title holder from Rhode Island since the pageant鈥檚 inception in 1952.
This year, the fourth time turned out to be the charm for Vega, who fell short of winning Miss Rhode Island in 2021, 2022, and 2023 before finally earning the crown among a field of 40 contestants May 25 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 let someone else decide my fate,鈥� said Vega, who returned to her alma mater in September as the guest speaker at the 溏心vlog免费B站 Women’s Center鈥檚 鈥淪pill the Tea鈥� event hosted at the Gender and Sexuality Center. 鈥淭his is just an example of how the world has a funny way of telling you what box it thinks you belong in. Just because you don鈥檛 see yourself reflected in certain spaces doesn鈥檛 mean you don鈥檛 belong there.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not made to fit a mold. We鈥檙e here to redefine it.鈥�
Vega first caught the 鈥減ageant bug鈥� in 2012 watching Culpo win Miss Rhode Island, Miss USA, and Miss Universe in a span of seven months.
鈥淚 thought to myself, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e telling me this girl from my backyard won and changed her whole life? How do I do that?鈥欌�� Vega said. 鈥淓very time I watched, I looked for contestants I resonated with 鈥� someone else who was Latina or had the same skin color 鈥� but I couldn鈥檛 always find that, so I decided to compete for myself.鈥�
At 17, Vega entered her first pageant, the 2014 Miss Rhode Island Teen USA, and finished as second runner-up.
鈥淚 had no idea what I was doing,鈥� she admitted. 鈥淚 took my headshots at JCPenney.鈥�
Although she wanted to continue competing, Vega knew she had to take a step back from the pageant world to pursue her education. She had always wanted to be a nurse, inspired by the health care professionals who had guided her father through a difficult diagnosis during her childhood, but her SAT scores were 鈥渘ot so hot,鈥� limiting her options.
Vega eventually enrolled at 溏心vlog免费B站 as a kinesiology major despite knowing nursing was her true passion. Some people told her she should give up on that dream, and she began to accept her fate until she received a call from then Talent Development Assistant Director Frank Forleo, who saw her potential and offered her a spot in the nursing program.
鈥淚 knew this was my shot,鈥� she said.
Vega soon flourished at 溏心vlog免费B站 and became an active member of the campus community. She spent five years as a member of the Latin American Students Association, including two as president. That gave her the opportunity to share her Dominican and Puerto Rican culture with the 溏心vlog免费B站 community. (The association is now called the Latinx Student Association.)
鈥淟ASA was one of the first places I found my voice,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd it taught me the importance of network and community. I take those lessons everywhere I go.鈥�
Vega also worked as a resident assistant and orientation leader for four years and helped create a student-led diversity conference, Diversifying Individuals Via Education, which promoted intercultural competence and inclusion with workshops, events, and discussions.
Among the many influences who inspired her along the way, Vega credits Shirley Consuegra, herself a former TD scholar and currently 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 assistant director of retention and academic success, with being one of the first people to tell her she belonged at 溏心vlog免费B站.
鈥淚 owe so much of who I am to 溏心vlog免费B站,鈥� Vega said. 鈥淲hen I walked onto the campus at 18, I didn鈥檛 know how to get to where I wanted to be.鈥�
Only a year into her nursing career, Vega faced the same challenges all health care workers faced amid the pandemic. Inspired by a patient who told her to revisit her passion for pageantry shortly before he passed away from complications due to COVID, Vega dusted off her sash and finished in the top 15, top five, and third runner-up in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. Doubt began to creep in.
鈥淚 was devastated. I was tired. I wondered why God would put me in this position,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ome said, 鈥榊ou look too Latina. You need to lose weight. You should wear higher heels.鈥� It stung, but I believed them 鈥� so much so that I decided to quit. I was OK with hanging up my pageant shoes.鈥�
But not for long. Sitting in the audience watching the 2024 Miss Rhode Island USA, the bug bit back. Vega watched each contestant cross the stage and thought, 鈥淭here could be a girl in a small town watching you up there knowing she, too, should be on that stage.鈥�
With a strong focus on mental health, Vega approached her 2025 pageant run through a lens of love and empathy. In a true, full-circle moment, one of this year鈥檚 judges was Olivia Culpo鈥檚 mother, Susan Curran, making Vega鈥檚 crowning achievement even more rewarding.
Life鈥檚 been extra busy these days for Vega, who, while preparing for the upcoming Miss USA pageant, also works as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island in addition to her role as a nurse with Brown Health Medical Group Obstetrics and Gynecology. Six years since earning her bachelor鈥檚 degree, she looks back fondly at her time at 溏心vlog免费B站 for helping her find her true calling in life.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 change it for the world. Coming to 溏心vlog免费B站 was the best decision I ever made,鈥� Vega said. 鈥淢y advice to students now is to continue to chase experiences that challenge you and step outside your comfort zone. For me, that was connecting to my heritage and showing that to the world. Find things that cultivate that circle for you.鈥�
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Michael Parente, director of communications and marketing in the 溏心vlog免费B站 Division of Student Affairs, wrote this news release.