9-28-2026 10:37am

Stevenson Student's

Gianna Romero glows as she is crowned Miss Maryland 2026

In a vibrant yellow dress that swept gracefully across the stage, its pleats resembling sunflower petals gleaming under sunlight, fourth-year Gianna Romero beamed under the white stage lights, glowing with an unmistakable authenticity.

In The Maryland Theatre of downtown Hagerstown, on the evening of June 27, “Golden” by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami started to play. Pieces of confetti twinkled as they filled the atmosphere. Romero’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped in disbelief when she heard the words, “Miss Maryland 2026 is Gianna Romero, Miss Washington County.”

The Miss Maryland 2026 title holder had never entered a pageant before 2024, her freshman year of college.

She started as a gymnast and baton twirler, competing in the National Baton Twirling Association (NBTA).

“In NBTA, to do an overall event, they do strut and solo, which are strictly baton twirling, but then they do modeling and interviews, and I sucked at it,” Romero said, “I was the worst in every single category when it came to both of those things.”

I hated modeling and interview.

— Romero

It wasn’t until 2023, when Giovanna Ward, a graduate from John Carroll School, won the title Miss Bel Air, that Romero gave pageantry a second thought.

“I loved everything [Ward] was doing,” Romero said. “She was doing service opportunities, she was connecting with her community, which is everything that I had grown up loving. The service part was just really ingrained in me.”

Inspired by her role model, Romero decided to apply the following year. Romero won her first ever pageant, and was crowned Miss Bel Air 2024.

“She glowed, you could tell she was very kind, generous, very talented and definitely had potential in the pageant world,” Jennifer Peiffer, Executive Director of the Miss Washington County and Miss Western Maryland Scholarship Foundation, said.

The five Miss Maryland finalists uplift each other throughout the competition. “Once you finish out your year, you’re considered a forever Miss Maryland, so you’re kind of inducted into that lifelong sisterhood," Romero said.

Despite little experience, with a supportive team, Romero proceeded to compete in Miss Maryland 2024.

“I didn’t make Top 10, I FINISH READING HERE