The spirit of community and elegance filled the air on Sept. 15, the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, in a west Phoenix hall as audience members settled in for a night dedicated to celebrating Latinas and their hopes for their community during the annual Miss Arizona Latina and Miss Teen Arizona Latina pageant.
The evening drew two winners as a result of the dual competition: Miss Central Phoenix Latina, Camila Burciaga, 14, was crowned the 2025 Miss Teen Arizona Latina, while Miss Laveen Latina, Paola Rico, 19, received the coveted title of 2025 Miss Arizona Latina.
Contestants from across Arizona — from the border towns of San Luis and Nogales, all the cardinal directions of the Valley, including Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, and Maryvale to various major towns like Casa Grande — entered the competition to become the face of the organization and represent their hometowns and ultimately state at larger pageants, like Miss U.S. Latina and Miss América Latina del Mundo.
Established in 1983 and run by the Miss Arizona Latina Organization , the pageant serves as a vehicle toward personal and professional development for young Latinas, so they may serve as role models to members of the communities they represent.