The newly crowned Miss Florida 2025 has her roots firmly planted in Northeast Florida.
Competing as Miss Gainesville, Ribault High School alum and recent University of Florida graduate Paris Richardson took home the title on Saturday.
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She will now represent both Gainesville and her hometown of Jacksonville in the Miss America competition in September.
According to her website, Richardson is a double Gator with a bachelor’s in public health and a master’s in health administration.
A UF cheerleader, Richardson is also a proud member of Florida Blue Key and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.
Before becoming Miss Gainesville, Richardson served as the 2023 Miss University of Florida and the 2024 Miss Northeast Florida within the Miss America Organization.
Richardson’s Miss Florida victory came with a $20,000 scholarship. Her talent was acrobatics, and judges said they were impressed with her community health initiative, C.R.O.W.N. of Health, which stands for Community Research Outreach Wellness Nutrition.
Richardson said she got her start in community outreach by organizing back-to-school drives at Ribault.
Now, she visits schools where she reads her children’s book, “The Not-So-Perfect Garden Project,” to students. The story, inspired by the real-life daughters of her high school cheerleading coaches, teaches children about the importance of fresh produce, especially in a “food desert.”
Her Paris’s Pals program helps students find the resources and connections to take part in volunteer opportunities with partners like The Blue Zones Project, The Ronald McDonald House, Children’s Miracle Network, Rethreaded, Boys and Girls Clubs, Dignity U Wear and more.
Richardson plans to focus her career on improving health equity in her community through advocacy, community service efforts and policy changes.
