There’s a new queen in Rhode Island, and she holds court in Riverside.

Soon, however, Dr. Victoria Cuartas will take her regal regalia on the road. She will represent the state as the newest Miss Rhode Island, anointed with the honor after finishing first in the final Miss RI USA pageant competition on July 19 in Providence. She will now compete for national glory in the 2026 Miss USA pageant in Miami from Aug. 20-27.

A lifelong Rhode Islander, Cuartas was born in Providence to immigrant parents; her mother of Venezuelan and Portuguese descent, and her father from Colombia. She grew up in Johnston and moved to East Providence about a decade ago. Her mother owns and operates Bella’s Italian Gourmet Deli on Forbes Street just off Wampanoag Trail. Cuartas works for Brown University as its coordinator of undergraduate programs.

“I just love Rhode Island,” Cuartas said in a recent interview following her win. “Just the fact that my parents are immigrants and Rhode Island has been their forever home means so much. In our community, there are so many people who have supported me on this journey. It’s so special how we come from such a small state and we all help each other and are all neighbors.”

Cuartas said that the road towards becoming Miss Rhode Island has been one about a decade in the making, going back to when she was first scouted while working part-time as a model during her studies at Providence College. When someone suggested she should try competing in pageantry, she said she thought the idea was outlandish.

Then she received an encouraging nudge from her mother.

“I always say that my mom ‘volun-told’ me to participate in my first pageant,” she said with a laugh. “Then I caught the bug, and 10 years later I’m Miss Rhode Island.”

A versatile woman

Throughout that decade climbing the mountain towards a Miss Rhode Island title, Cuartas said she has experienced a lot of growth in different ways.

She holds three degrees, including a bachelor’s in global studies and a master’s in education and mental health counseling from Providence College. She then went on to earn her doctorate in philosophy and humanities from Salve Regina. Her dissertation was an exploration on femininity, womanhood and gender identity through the lens of examining works by the late American photographer, Diane Arbus.

“She photographed conventional beauty for high fashion magazines, like Vogue, but also photographed unconventional people from 1960s subculture,” Cuartas explained. “It was extremely relevant to our conversations we have today in regards to gender role and identity, but she was so beyond her time.”

Throughout her time competing, Cuartas also saw her own personality change.

“I started out as a very young woman who was a tomboy, and I really grew into pageantry and grew into myself as a woman throughout pageantry,” she said.

That growth included coming to a better place internally about what some might perceive as a contradiction between her educational accomplishments (and employment at an elite university), and her pursuits in pageantry, which some might simplify as a popularity-based beauty contest.

“One thing I’ve learned in this process of self-discovery is that I am in pageantry because of my credentials, not in spite of my credentials. I used to see them as two different worlds, and I was almost afraid and conscientious of mixing those two worlds because I thought one wouldn’t understand the other,” she said. “But I have met so many educated, intelligent women through pageantry. And when people find out I’m in pageantry, and have a doctorate, and work at Brown, they think of it as a breath of fresh air.”

“I think that pageantry really celebrates a versatile woman, and maybe it didn’t in past generations,” she continued. “But I feel like the Miss USA organization celebrates that.”

An omen from Celine Dion

Cuartas said that the journey from her first pageant to winning the crown was also one of growth and perseverance — and it started surprisingly close to a first-try victory.

“My first pageant, I just did it on a whim. I had no expectations, and I ended up placing 2nd Runner Up, third place, with no pageant preparation at all,” she said. “Slowly with each passing year, I took it more seriously. I hired pageant coaches who helped me prepare in all the areas, whether it was fitness, interview prep, social media branding … even picking a dress and styling my hair, that was all a process and very much an evolutionary process.”

Cuartas took a break from pageantry while acquiring her PhD, and then once she achieved that goal, her heart told her it was time to try for the crown again. In 2025, she got First Runner Up, second place, and the finish line felt closer than ever.

“I realized this dream was truly possible and not just a hobby anymore,” she said. “I’m the type of person who, once I commit myself to something, I’m going to finish it.”

On July 19, the stars finally aligned. Cuartas said that leading up to the final show, she felt a strange sense of serenity wash over her; less jittery like previous shows, and more holding a feeling like one chapter was ending and a new one beginning. During her preparations for the day, she was listening to one of her musical idols, Celine Dion.

“She was pumping me up and I kept asking ‘What would Celine do?’ She gave me that extra energy,” Cuartas said.

After putting in what she felt was her best performance yet — including acing a judge’s question about why human creativity will never be replaced by artificial intelligence — Cuartas donned her elegant evening gown for the finale, awaiting to see if she would win the crown.

Then a familiar voice and song came over the speakers — “Because You Love Me”, by Celine Dion.

“I’m like, ‘No way, this can’t be.’ My family said when they were in the audience they all looked at each other and they’re like, ‘This is a sign.’ I went out and it was probably one of the highlights of my entire life,” Cuartas said. “It just felt like such a divinely appointed moment being out there.”

Cuartas said she is driven by a desire to inspire young people to achieve their own wildest dreams, and finds fulfillment in seeing students at Brown pursue those aspirations. Specifically, she wants other children of immigrants to realize the power within them.

“Only 1% of Latinas in U.S. hold a doctorate degree,” she said. “My mission is to continue opening those opportunities for others.”

Cuartas is currently raising money prior to leaving for Miami, and she has also partnered with the MÃE Organization (based out of Cranston) to help with their mission of supporting individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing stable housing.

While she doesn’t have a lot of time to prepare, Cuartas said that whatever the outcome in Florida, she hopes to inspire others and just enjoy the ride.

“My big dream was winning Miss Rhode Island, and I already did that. So whatever happens now, it would just be a bonus,” she said. “Getting to this point took so long, so now I’m just trying to enjoy as much as I can.”