New Miss Connecticut and Miss Connecticut's Teen aim to empower, inspire women

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The newly crowned Miss Connecticut and Miss Connecticut's Teen said during a visit to Norwalk that their victories were a dream come true. "I was just in shock. It's still so surreal to me," said Miss Connecticut's Teen Camryn Patton, of Bristol. Patton was crowned on June 22 before a packed house at the Ridgefield Playhouse. Her community service initiative is nonprofit she started called ‘It's OK’ which supports mental health in the performing arts community. "I'm here to show that mental health is so valid in your well-being," said Patton. The new Miss Connecticut is Monica Fenwick. The UConn grad and Watertown native says her community service initiative, “Communication is Key: Unlocking the Stigmas Around Communication Disorders.” "As a speech language pathologist, I go around the state trying to make effective communication accessible to all," said Fenwick. Both say they have competed all these years to inspire and empower women. "The sisterhood opportunity that the Miss America opportunity provides us is so important and it helped my growth as a teen and a future leader," said Patton. "Miss America is all about empowering women…we are built on a community of women that all support each other and that's what's so amazing about the organization," said Fenwick. They ladies say they are proud to represent Connecticut and hope they can mentor future female leaders. They will compete again at their respective national pageants in January. "