Aashna Puri elected Ms President US Ridgefield for 2025

Aashna Puri, a 7th grader at East Ridge Middle School, has been elected Ms President US Ridgefield for 2025 following her participation in the Ms President US civic leadership program for girls. Her platform, “Closing the Dream Gap,” resonated with voters at the annual Signature Campaign and Election event, held at Wilton High School. She will serve alongside Vice President Charlotte Turco.

The event brought together 23 girls in grades 4–8 from 12 towns across Connecticut. Each candidate presented her campaign platform to a crowd of more than 200 attendees, including community members, elected officials, and civic leaders.

Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas served as the keynote speaker and praised the depth and maturity of the candidates’ ideas. “When I was looking at your platforms, I thought anyone just seeing that document would not realize that you were all still students, because these are the issues that I've seen tackled every day in the state legislature and at the federal level,” she said.

Among the elected officials in attendance were State Senator Ceci Maher, State Representatives Savet Constantine and Annie Hughes, Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi, First Selectwomen Toni Boucher and Julia Pemberton, Selectwoman Kim Healy, and Board of Education member Tina Malhotra. Their presence underscored the importance of fostering civic engagement among young people.

Amanda Cordano, Executive Director of Ms President US, reflected on the significance of the day. “Our goal has always been to cultivate the next generation of female leaders, and today we saw firsthand the incredible potential of these young changemakers.”

In recognition of her new role, Aashna has been invited by First Selectman Rudy Marconi to participate in local civic activities throughout the year, while continuing to pursue the goals of her platform.

Ms President US is a non-partisan, non-profit organization committed to inspiring and preparing young girls to lead. Through hands-on programming and educational opportunities, it empowers participants to step confidently into leadership roles in their communities and beyond.

For more information about Ms President US or to register for the upcoming session, visit www.mspresidentus.org.