From Student Life To Mrs. Florida U.S. Continental—Meet Lolisa Torbert

Lolisa Torbert gave the audience a glimpse of her sparkly beige nightgown as she glided across the stage at the StarStruck Performing Arts Center in Stuart, Florida, last June.

It wasn’t the 32-year-old’s first pageant, but winning the Mrs. Florida U.S. Continental contest seemed like a far-fetched dream. Torbert hid her nerves behind a wide smile, as she held hands with four other finalists under a bright spotlight as they awaited their fate.

The in-person crowd, and the users on the live stream, erupted in applause as the host crowned Torbert as Mrs. Florida. 

“I was honestly surprised that I won,” Torbert said. “I went into this as if it was almost a dare.” 

Torbert, who serves as a program coordinator at the Homestead Campus Student Life Department, took preparing for the pageant seriously. That mentality helped her earn the title of Mrs. South East Florida in December, which she needed to qualify for Mrs. Florida U.S. Continental.

Her road to the crown has been a bit unconventional. Unlike most other contestants, she didn’t have a pageant coach. She did her own hair and makeup and picked out her wardrobe.

A typical day in her life started with a BOOST Women nutritional drink for breakfast. Although she wasn’t on a diet, she consumed healthier food alternatives such as turkey instead of beef or yogurt instead of ice cream. After work, she ran or danced with her children in their living room.

During breaks at work, she asked co-workers to critique her walk and public speaking skills. They asked her questions to mimic the onstage interview contestants field from judges during the contest.

Torbert first joined the beauty pageant industry when she was in college as a way to receive scholarship money. She started participating in contests through Miss America’s non-profit organization.

However, in order to continue being eligible to participate in Miss America’s Organization pageants, contestants can not be married and they must be between 17 and 25 years old. To continue her pageantry career, Torbert has been participating in the Florida U.S. Continental pageant’s Mrs. division for the past two years.

Now that Torbert has won a state title, she is scheduled to compete at nationals for the Mrs. United States title. 

Her inspiration to continue competing was her daughter, Penelope.

“I’ve seen first hand how it benefits our four-year-old daughter. After seeing her mom on stage a few times, she now has the self-confidence to do the same herself,” said Michael Torbert, Lolisa’s husband. “I believe once our two-year-old son is older, he will also benefit from seeing his mom and sister in such strong positions. His respect for women will be positively impacted.”

Torbert also wants to encourage students at Miami Dade College to try new things. That is why she incorporates the motto, CROWN 365: Caring Regardless Of Who Notices 365 days a year, into her daily life.

“She can light up the room when she walks in,” said Ashlie Faustino, who serves as a student life clerk at Homestead Campus. “Her presence is a ray of sunshine and you will definitely know when she is around.”

But that doesn’t mean competing hasn’t come without challenges. She is often one of the few Black women at contests. In the past, Torbert has worn hair extensions to conform to traditional pageant looks, but this year she decided to embrace her naturally curly hair. 

Torbert started working at MDC in 2019 as a pre-admissions advisor at Kendall Campus’ New Student Center. In 2020, she became a student life coordinator at Homestead. 

Her current job involves coordinating events, supporting clubs and organizations, and planning service activities and special events dedicated to Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and Women’s History Month.

She also hopes to launch the first-ever Mr. and Mrs. Homestead pageant at MDC this fall.

Before MDC, Torbert was a math teacher at Felix Varela Senior High School for seven years. 

Torbert earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and journalism, as well as a minor in sociology, from the University of Miami in 2012. She is currently working toward her master’s degree in human growth and development at Florida International University. 

Outside of school and pageants, Torbert serves as an ambassador for the Florida Hemophilia Association and uses pageants as a platform to bring awareness toward Hemophilia. She does fundraising, sets up workshops for parents who have children with Hemophilia, and participates in 5K walks benefiting the Unite for Bleeding Disorders organization.

She supports the cause because her son, Princeton, has Hemophilia A and her father, who passed away from cancer when she was 23, also suffered from Hemophilia. 

“Lolisa is one of the most genuine people I have met in pageantry in a long time,” said Maureen Huebel, who competed against Torbert for the Mrs. Florida title. “She has a true passion for community service and using her titles to make an impact in people’s lives through her community service.”