Recently, reporters of the Raider Review had the opportunity of interviewing Miss Florida 2023, Juliette Valle! Valle, who graduated from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in 2019, is an accomplished opera singer, decorated pageant contestant, and now a law clerk. As the STA alumna continues to dazzle the world with her brilliance, Valle provided reporters with the inside scoop on her current life achievements as well as a reflection on the experiences she had while attending STA.
Valle began singing at 8 years of age, when she joined her elementary school choir. But it was not until her high school years that Valle began to understand her full potential.Valle gives credit to her teacher, Wanda Drozdovitch:“[she] was very instrumental in my love and passion [for music].”
One thing led to another, and Valle won her first pageantry title in 2016 as Miss Broward County Teen. Some of Valle’s other notable accomplishments in pageantry include winning Miss Miami in 2022, and eventually Miss Florida in 2023. In an attempt to claim the Title of Miss America, Juliette placed in the Top 10 and became the first contestant in the competition’s history to deliver a bilingual onstage Q&A session.
While Valle is known for breaking down barriers in her pageantry career, she is also heavily accomplished in the arts and academics. After her time at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, Valle went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Political Science, with minors in Broadcast Journalism, Theatre Arts, and Classical Vocal Performance through the University of Miami and the Frost School of Music. Valle is also a Masters in History candidate at Harvard University, a notable accomplishment.
During her time at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, Valle was known for her vocal prowess within the STA Chorale, as well as being an exceptional student in the classroom. When asked about her biggest influences at STA, Valle felt “Without [my teachers] investing their time in me, I wouldn’t be the person I am today”. Some of the teachers Valle mentioned include Mrs. Mingarelli, for Algebra II; Mr. McCormack, for Theology; and Mr. Gibbons, for Precalculus. Valle also gives credit to STA for providing her “…so many friendships that have lasted [her] until this very day with a lot of [her] classmates from choir.” Truly, Valle’s journey at STA is a testament to the profound influence teachers and classmates have on one’s personal journey.
Juliette Valle embodies the four pillars of what it means to be a STA student: Faith, Family, Tradition, and Excellence. Valle’s journey shows STA students what determination accomplishes when working toward a goal.
Update: As of August 19th, 2024, Juliette Valle has begun attending the St. Thomas University University Benjamin L. Crump College of Law. From the Raider Community, we are all so proud of alumni Juliette Valle and look forward to seeing her future accomplishments in the legal field as well as in her pageantry and opera career.
