Ashley Borzellino, Development Inspector/Operator in the City of Brantford’s Development Engineering Department, was recently crowned Miss North America 2025 in July at the North America Beauty Pageant in Orlando, Florida.
The 27-year-old Hamilton resident, is a Certified Technician (C.Tech.) with the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) and has been working with the City of Brantford for three years.
While Borzellino previously claimed the title of Miss Canada in 2023 (a separate, unrelated pageant all together), her newest crowning makes her the first Canadian to ever win the international title, which represents 23 countries across North America.
Borzellino, who was one of 16 contestants competing in the three-day pageant, said she couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with emotion when she realized she’d won the crown.
“I always hope that I’m not going cry because I like to be strong, but there’s just something about it that always makes me really emotional; I think because there’s just a lot of adrenaline and a lot of emotions that kind of hit you at all at once, but I was so excited and really thankful,” Borzellino recalled. “Realizing in that moment that all your efforts paid off, and that you were able to do it while also staying true to yourself and not putting on a show, it’s overwhelming. I got selected because of me, not because of something performed.”
During the competition, contestants were scored in different categories including one-on-one interviews with the judges, swimwear/activewear, evening gown and stage presence.
Borzellino said that while both the Miss Canada and Miss North America pageants were overall similar experiences, there were a few differences that stood out.
“When it comes to the stage, we still had interviews, a gown portion, an opening number and an introduction piece, so those aspects remained the same, but there were a couple differences. The first was that there was a swim and fitness round in the competition. I do want to emphasize that they weren’t looking at how fit you are or what size you are, it’s not about that,” she said. “It’s more just about being able to select a swimsuit or an outfit that is flattering for your body type and being confident in that. Other than that, the main thing was that I was competing alongside women from across the continent, so they were all representing their states while I was representing Ontario. The fact that it was international and I couldn’t just drive there was kind of tough because I was so far from home, so that was the biggest difference for me.”
One thing that remains consistent across both her pageant experiences is her platform to advocate for occupational diversity and raise awareness about the role of women in construction and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“I still stick with my original platform from when I first started pageantry back in 2021 and that’s occupational diversity. So that can be for absolutely anybody in any career, because I want my message to be relayed to as many people as possible,” she said. “Obviously, when I’m speaking about my own personal experience, that’s when I focus on women in construction and women in STEM.”
Borzellino shared that getting to use her voice to inspire others is something she always enjoys. Most recently she got to judge youth projects at the STEM Futures Expo in Toronto back in August.
She added that while she’s already gotten to do plenty of public speaking and volunteering as part of her Miss Canada reign, she hopes to continue those efforts with her new title.
“I’m hoping to speak to a lot more youth groups this time around. That is something I did during my previous reign, but I also did a lot of speaking at engineering firms and construction companies. That was great because I think my message can resonate with everyone, but still, I really want to have a positive impact on the youth – that’s so important to me,” she said. “I am still going to be focusing on women in construction and women in STEM, of course, however, I do want to be able to give back to the community through more outside volunteer work and fundraising too. I came from very humble beginnings, and so I want to give back where I can because that’s something that hits close to home.”
Borzellino added that while many people may think that pageantry is all about winning, or glitz and glam, there are many other perks to competing.
“You get to meet so many bright, like-minded women and it’s a great way to make friends and create new connections, especially if you are someone who works full-time like me. Not only that, but there’s a lot of personal growth too,” she said. “You have to be able to analyze yourself in a positive light because it really forces you to get to know yourself better, to recognize where you fell short and to make those improvements. Those are all things that help you with your personal life and in your career as well because we make mistakes all the time, right? So I think pageantry helps you exercise your personal development.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
