Macchia began vying for the Miss Staten Island crown when she was 17 and a student at Staten Island Technical High School [REF].
When Kazantsev was elevated to Miss America 2015, both first runner-up Desiree Wiley and second runner-up Macchia declined the promotion to serve as Miss New York 2014 to preserve their chance to win the state title in 2015 and compete for Miss America 2016 [REF].