The new Miss Apopka was introduced to the community at the 60th annual Apopka Art and Foliage Festival on Saturday, April 23.
Victoria Sonza of Orlando beat out eight other contestants to be crowned Miss Apopka 2022 on April 3 at the Manatee Performing Arts Center in Bradenton.
Miss Apopka was one of three titles awarded at the Central Florida Sweeps Competition – the other two were Miss Manatee County and Miss Pinellas County.
Sonza succeeds Amanda Kronhaus, Miss Apopka 2020. Because the COVID-19 pandemic had caused the Miss Apopka, Miss Florida, and Miss America competitions to be postponed in 2020, Kronhaus held the title two years in a row.
“Being crowned Miss Apopka is a huge honor. I really love the city,” Sonza said in a phone interview. “When I was at the Art and Foliage Festival, being greeted and welcomed by so many open arms, is really something super special that not many people get to be a part of. So, to be able to represent the city of Apopka has truly made an impact, even though it’s only begun, and I can’t wait for the rest of the year.”
As Miss Apopka, Sonza is eligible to compete in the Miss Florida Competition, which will take place June 22-25 at the Youkey Theater, RP Funding Center, in Lakeland.
Miss Apopka and Miss Florida are Miss America preliminaries. The Miss Apopka Scholarship Committee organizes the Miss Apopka competition.
Growing up, Sonza split her time between New Jersey and Central Florida. She graduated from Millburn High School, Millburn, N.J., in 2018. Now she attends Valencia College, pursuing a business degree.
Her Miss Apopka social impact statement is Music for Memories, a program that would bring together volunteers to perform old popular and new popular music in retirement homes. Music for Memories was inspired by Sonza’s grandmother’s experience with Alzheimer’s.
Sonza grew up watching Miss America Organization competitions. At around 10 years of age, she was a Sunshine Princess, a girl who is a member of the Miss Florida mentorship program. However, she never entered a Miss America Organization competition in Florida until this year, when she competed for Miss Apopka.
An extended story appears in the Friday, April 29, issue of The Apopka Chief. Subscribe today!
The Apopka Chief and The Planter are weekly community newspapers, independently owned and family operated, that have served the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923 and 1965 respectively.
Follow The Apopka Chief on Facebook.
Follow The Apopka Chief on Twitter.
Follow The Apopka Chief on Instagram.
