East Boston’s Sarah deSouza Crowned Miss Massachusetts

Last month, the Miss Universe Organization crowned East Boston resident Sarah deSouza the winner of Miss Massachusetts USA 2021.

Born and raised in Dracut, Massachusetts, the 25-year-old deSouza has lived in Eastie for the past seven years and is the oldest of four sisters.

The competition, which was held at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium was one of the year’s most anticipated pageant events according to Laurie Clemente, Executive Director.

“After many years of working in the pageant industry, I feel confident that Sarah will be a wonderful representative of the state of Massachusetts,” said Clemente. “I know she will make us proud as she goes on to compete for the title of Miss USA in November.”

deSouza said her studies have always been extremely important to her as she graduated from Dracut Senior High School in 2014 with High Honors and graduated from Suffolk University Cum Laude in 2018.

After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design, deSouza began working for a small residential interior design company as a junior designer, where she helped turn clients’ visions into reality. She had her first art show in Somerville in 2019, where she debuted multiple paintings that she created over the years.

“Creating art in any way, shape, or form is one of my greatest passions and being able to share that gift to the world makes it even more fulfilling,” she said.

As a first generation Brazilian-American, deSouza speaks Portuguese and Spanish. With both parents being born and raised in Brazil, speaking about immigrants and immigration reform is one of her greatest passions.

deSouza recently created a podcast called ‘ism- immigrant stories matter’, where she sits down with immigrants and children of immigrants and has them tell their unique stories about their struggles and successes in this country.

She hopes to use her platform as Miss Massachusetts USA to continue to speak on immigration, “so that together we can change the negative stigmas around immigrants and instead, embrace our differences”.

deSouza said she hopes to one day turn ism into a non-profit, where she can help immigrants in this country by providing them with funds, connections, and resources to hopefully guide them towards their American Dream.

“I’m extremely proud of being from Massachusetts and I’m honored to be able to represent the state I love,” she said of her win.

deSouza lives in Eastie with her two French bulldogs, Prince and Penelope, which she considers her children.

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