Jenna Giustino 
New Jerseyans are dreamers. Maybe it’s our proximity to the Big Apple, the iconic Jersey Shore beaches, or the fact that we’re the homeland of Bruce Springsteen. Whatever the reason, residents here are known for thinking big and chasing what’s possible. That’s exactly what Ivy Harrington, a Neptune native and passionate advocate for women’s empowerment and personal development, is doing with her hard-earned title as Miss New Jersey USA 2025.
As a lifelong Jersey Shore resident and athlete, Ivy is now using her platform to make a meaningful impact statewide as a coach and founder of her mentorship program, MVP, Most Valuable Pivot. Her mission is simple yet powerful: to remind women that no dream is too big and that true identity can never be defined by just one label. Read on to learn more about Ivy’s journey from basketball courts to the Miss New Jersey USA crown and how she’s empowering women across the Garden State to step confidently into their next chapter.
Jersey Shore Roots
Ivy grew up with her family in Monmouth County, specifically in Neptune, and she still resides there today. “I just feel like it’s such a great place. You’re near the beach, you’re only an hour from the city, and then if you want to get to Philly or DC, you’re either on the train or in the car; it’s just a few hours away. So, I love it. There’s no place like home.”
She began immersing herself with local peers and families, outside of school, at a young age through Neptune Township Biddy Basketball, a recreational basketball league for girls and boys from 2nd to 9th grades.
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This love of camaraderie and sport led the foundation from an elementary school to a middle school, and then to a high school athlete. Ivy went to Neptune High, where she played for the Neptune Scarlet Fliers, helping the squad to four B-North titles, two Shore Conference championships, two Group III New Jersey State championships, and a tournament title.
Never limiting herself to one area of interest, Ivy is a two-sport letterwinner in basketball and track at Neptune High. She also made sure to form relationships and build her character outside of school. Neptune Pop Warner is a community-based organization, where she was a cheerleader, and she also ran track with the Jersey Shore Track Club. “It really shaped my outlook on what it means to be a friend, a teammate, a support system, and a person who can pour into others.”
Besides the bonds she was forming with local Jersey Shore community members, Ivy’s experiences with sport shaped her work ethic and taught her “how to be around different types of people, different walks of life, different interests. And that led me to ultimately getting a full scholarship to play basketball at Morgan State University.”
Ivy goes on to tell JSG how the foundations of sport shaped “the trajectory of every single goal I’ve had […] If I weren’t an athlete, I wouldn’t be Miss New Jersey, USA.”
Ivy shared a deep appreciation for the opportunities the title of Miss New Jersey has brought her, as well as for all the places she’s visited as a result. Yet, she says there is no better feeling than being home. “It feels so amazing to go into your local grocery store, or if you’re going to church, or anywhere you turn in the community, you’re seeing somebody you refer to as an aunt, as an uncle, as a cousin. [Neptune] is such a heartwarming place to be from.”
Present Day
Ivy’s connection to the community continues to surface into her adulthood. At present, she works as a Social Media Manager at West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, but she defines her role working with students as that of an educator, as she comes from a family of five generations of teachers. “I get access to over 9000 students, telling their stories and celebrating their accolades,” she explained.
Ivy also gets to connect to her roots by coaching basketball and lacrosse at the middle school. This is a full-circle moment in which she, now as the coach, can be the person she needed when she was younger. She says, “The bus rides to and from games, the bonding—those are the things the students get the most out of, and they are my favorite times too.”
Ivy went on to tell a story about how, at the end of the lacrosse season, she canceled practice and had the entire team meet in a classroom to chat, surrounded by snacks, while she set up beads and charms to make friendship bracelets. “They are going to remember this more than how many goals they had or what the stat sheet looked like.”
Those are the moments she hopes inspire her students and players — instilling a sense of hope and reminding them that, one day, it may be their turn to take the reins and extend that same kindness to someone else.
When it comes down to it, that’s what Ivy’s role in the school and as a coach is – to “give them a glimmer of not being confined to a box. You’re more than just a student. You’re more than just whatever sport you play. You are somebody who has full agency over the way you want your life and future to go.”
Journey to Miss New Jersey USA
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Ivy’s interest in pageants began in college; she recalls being in her dorm room at Morgan State University, flipping through the channels when she came across the end of the 2016 Miss USA pageant. “It was the Q and A section … and I remember seeing Deshauna Barber, who was Miss District of Columbia USA, and she was speaking about being an officer in the United States Army. And I just thought that was so interesting and unconventional.”
When Ivy saw Dashauna, an African American woman, win, and saw how excited the people in her college community in Baltimore, which is close to DC, were, it gave her a feeling similar to the one she had as a teenager playing basketball and running track in her hometown of Neptune.
A year later, Ivy tuned into the pageant once more and watched as Kára McCullough, a scientist from Washington, D.C., was crowned Miss USA 2017 — the second consecutive year a Black woman took home the title. The moment stood out to Ivy, who saw both winners as powerful examples of women who embraced ambition, versatility, and confidence beyond any one definition.
From there, the rest is history. Ivy competed for the first time for Miss New Jersey in 2020- the pageant was held at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City. She ended up placing in the top 20 out of 98 contestants – this is where she got the ‘pageant bug,’ realizing that if she did so well with barely any practice, there would be plenty of room for growth if she put her mind to it.
Ivy competed again in 2022, after COVID, and placed in the top five for the first time. She realized then that if she could place fourth runner-up, then the crown was still a possibility. However, at the time, there was an age limit: pageant entries could not be over 28. So, Ivy was ineligible to compete.
A year after that, in 2023, the age restriction was lifted, and Ivy competed again for the 2024 title, placing third runner-up. At that point, she took a moment to reflect on whether she felt she should compete again, but the voice inside her head told her that the only way she wasn’t winning was if she didn’t show up.
That’s when she gave it another try. Ivy feels that what set her apart from the other years she competed was that she had a “peace that comes from confidence.” She knew that whatever the result, the pageant wasn’t her finish line.
On April 6th, 2025, Ivy was crowned Miss New Jersey – a journey embedded with both resilience and the message that betting on oneself is always needed.
MVP: “Most Valuable Pivot”
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Ivy told JSG that there have been many tangible changes to her life since being crowned Miss New Jersey. But of all the changes, the most exciting to her is being able to take her mentorship program, Most Valuable Pivot, statewide. “My key objective is to just teach female student athletes how to be the architects of their identity when they’re not wearing jerseys.”
Although a lover of sports, Ivy always felt it was important to have hobbies and interests that didn’t revolve around athletics, so that if one day that last game comes around, her identity isn’t solely wrapped up in being a basketball player, cheerleader, or runner. Her work with the MVP mentorship program focuses on helping young athletes understand that pursuing a wide variety of interests helps develop a well-rounded identity and purpose in life.
Ivy now visits school districts across the state and speaks to young women about the importance of not putting oneself in a box with a label, and how setting aside time to pursue a multitude of interests helps to develop important life skills. “These student athletes can take these tools and learn how to pivot into whatever facet of life they want to.”
It excites Ivy that MVP will continue to have an impact on New Jersey, beyond her 2025 title. “The work that has gone into becoming Miss New Jersey USA, ultimately, I truly feel, is my life’s work. And that’s directly tied into MVP, and now the platform that I was as a title holder gives me such a larger reach and an array of opportunities to touch so many people.”
Ivy’s Message
When JSG asked Ivy what message she’d like to send to young women across New Jersey, she said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
She continued, “Having the boldness and confidence and just the outright optimism that no matter what, you’re in direct alignment with your path.”
Ivy’s mission beyond the title is to continue to impact the community by crossing paths with locals and leaving each person a bit more uplifted to the possibility of life’s dreams, no matter how small or large. “It only takes one person to say, I think you can do it, but first and foremost, you have to be the voice inside your own kind of vessel to say that to yourself.”
Her Support System
Although Ivy supports inner strength, she also told JSG that she has a support system.
“My father fueled the confidence and belief I have in myself. And a lot of that has to do with him being my first coach.” From learning how to drive to discovering how to scramble eggs and have the right form with a jump shot, “he is my anchor and foundation.”
Ivy also told JSG her mother taught her “how to be independent and ambitious.” Ivy attributed the combination of life skills taught by her father and mother to who she is today.
Ivy also cited her first pageant coach, Ciera Nicole, and Gina Mellish, Miss New Jersey USA 2020, as well as college and childhood friends who have spoken life into her dream and goal.
“It’s nice to know that people always saw something in me and that they’ve been encouraging every step of the way ever since I joked around about the goal.”
New Jersey Topics
When it comes to staple New Jersey locations, Ivy expressed nostalgia for the Monmouth Mall. “That was such a core memory for my upbringing… it was such a coming of age. I remember going to the Fridays after my 8th-grade dance.”
Similar to many Monmouth County residents, Ivy now drives past the redevelopment, transforming the once mall into Monmouth Square, and is reminded of how the space was the first taste of freedom she felt going to the mall with friends, a core memory of growing up in the area – the mall, served as a space a sense of communal excitement that she hopes teenagers in the area can still find today.
As far as the present day, of course, we had to get Ivy’s local recommendations. For this section, JSG hosted a list of rapid-fire New Jersey-related questions and answers for Miss New Jersey.
Rapid Fire Questions
Q: Favorite Jersey Shore beach?
A: There’s more than one answer because I grew up going to Bradley Beach the most. And then the Asbury Park Boardwalk is my favorite boardwalk, because that’s my backyard. But to date, I think Allenhurst Beach is my favorite. It’s very calm, there’s not a lot of traffic on that beach.
Q: Jersey shore places you can frequent and never get tired of?
A: I love AP rooftop. When Miss Rhode Island USA came to town, I suggested she and her family go there, so we all had dinner there. I definitely also love Deal Lake Bar Co. and, of course Watermark, it’s just a vibe, and you know what you’re going to get every time.
Q: Best seafood?
A: Some of the best catfish or whiting sandwiches that you can ever ask for are at a restaurant in Neptune City called It Ain’t Just Fish.
Q: Favorite pizza?
A: I talked about this on the Miss USA stage. Pete and Elda’s, Rizzo’s in Ocean Township, and honorable mention Dominic’s in Neptune City. When I won Miss New Jersey, they made me a pizza in the shape of a bouquet.
Q: Workout location of choice?
A: Rock Solid Training. That is my home gym. My trainer, Fred Hopson, has trained me since the 2022 Miss New Jersey USA pageant, and he was with me all the way up to the Miss USA stage. Partnering with someone from your area who shares your excitement for your goal is priceless.
Q: Favorite nail salon?
A: Lucid Nails in Neptune – they are the most generous, the most professional, and the perfect place to sit back and relax.
Q: Sunrise or sunset at the beach?
A: Sunrise because we’re on the East Coast.
Q: Boardwalk food you can never say no to?
A: Funnel cake.
And lastly — and most importantly — when JSG asked Ivy to weigh in on New Jersey’s most debated topic (Taylor ham or pork roll), her answer was immediate: “Pork roll, baby. No hesitation on that one.”
Beyond the Miss New Jersey Title
Ivy placed as first runner-up at the Miss USA 2025 pageant, held in Reno, Nevada, in late October 2025. She was the third woman in history to place as first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant, representing the Garden State. At 30, she’s the oldest woman to ever be crowned, another message to be sent: it’s never too late.
Beyond those historic facts, Ivy’s legacy is embedded in the work she continues to do in the community, from educator to workshop facilitator to coach and friend.
Ivy recalled seeing one of her students recently, who she was no longer coaching, “and she said to me, I saw your Miss New Jersey. I want to do a pageant [pause], and I kid you not, that moment just is so ingrained in my mind, because it made me realize I didn’t even understand what it meant to be the pillar of representation until I heard that.”
Ivy is someone you might spot at your favorite local Jersey Shore spots, and that in itself serves as a constant reminder that inspiration often lives right in our own communities.
And for anyone chasing a dream of their own, her message rings clear: “Taking a step in the right direction is a victory in itself.”
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