Lexi Spadaro: Mrs. New York International is the Queen of her Castle

Syracuse Woman Magazine Cover Story/June 2023

 The alarm goes off at 6:15 Monday morning. Lexi and Cody Spadaro begin their usual well-orchestrated preparation. While Lexi dresses, Cody makes lunches and breakfasts and feeds and walks their dog. Their three and one year old sons, Easton and Axel, giggle and wriggle as Lexi dresses them and they make their way to the kitchen. After Cody leaves for his carpenter job at 7:15, Lexi feeds the cat and bunnies and prepares her own lunch before finally pouring herself a cup of coffee. By eight the boys are off to the babysitters and at nine Lexi is ready to welcome her second graders at Hastings-Mallory Elementary School in Central Square. All of this seems like a lot, but Lexi Spadaro is not just a wife, mother, and teacher, she is also the reigning 2024 Mrs. New York International. 

Born in 1992 in the Fairmount section of Syracuse, Lexi Kerr grew up attending West Genesee schools. With her younger brother, Joshua,  and their parents, Michelle and Charles, they formed a close-knit group that still enjoys vacations to Disney World, cruises, and camping trips with extended family. 

“My parents always told me to chase my dreams and do what made me happy. They gave me the opportunity to competitively figure skate for about 20 years, participate in competitive cheerleading, model, dance, participate in gymnastics, and sing! They always did whatever they could to allow me to experience anything I wanted,” she says.

Chasing those dreams proved fruitful in other arenas. At age 15, Lexi met her future husband, the friendly and funny Cody Spadaro, at the Camillus ice skating rink where he played hockey and she skated. After high school, Lexi went on to study education at SUNY Cortland (graduating in 2014) and then pursue a Masters in Early Literacy from Southern New Hampshire University. Her mother’s hairdressing career motivated Lexi to add a cosmetology license to her resume, working in that field for a number of years (She still does wedding hair and makeup on weekends). Ultimately, she felt something was missing and reconnected with her vocation teaching elementary school. 

“The relationship I have with all of my students makes me smile and I know I’ve made a positive impact on their lives because I still have students coming to visit me years later. That alone speaks volumes!” Lexi says.

Another key moment in her formative years was the realization of her father’s growing disability related to his childhood diagnosis of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, a genetic muscle disorder affecting the face, shoulder blades, upper arms, and other muscles. For many years the disease did not affect him very much, but over time it slowly progressed.

“At first, he was embarrassed and didn’t want others to know... But he slowly began to accept his condition and learn how to live life in a new way. He got a wheelchair scooter, ankle braces, and soon a chairlift. If we’re out to dinner and they fill his water cup too much, I take some sips to make it lighter for him. I hold his arm as he goes up and downstairs. I get his dinners ready when I’m with him, and so much more. The biggest challenge was when we were in public and people made fun of the way he walked. I’m now not afraid to say something and stand up for my dad…Seeing what he goes through, and also knowing the financial burden it puts on families to get the medical technologies and assistance needed…pushes me to advocate for others and make a difference within the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) community,”  she says.

Lexi’s passions fused when she became involved with pageantry, specifically the International Pageants Organization. Interested in pageantry from an early age and buoyed by a friend’s involvement, she competed in smaller events, winning state, national, and international competitions. In 2017 she planned on doing the makeup for the Miss New York International Pageant and was so taken by the organization’s uniquely high standards and commitment to  their contestants’ families and platforms she decided to enter the pageant herself, winning that competition and placing in the top ten of the Nationals. 

“I didn’t know that I could incorporate my passion for giving back to the MDA community and educating others [about] muscular dystrophy. That discovery was the answer to my question of if I should compete,” Lexi says.

Through this first experience with the International Pageants Organization, she realized that pageants give their participants a way to amplify their fundraising goals and efforts they would not have otherwise.  

“My pageant platform, Muscle Warriors, is dedicated to fundraising and education for muscular dystrophy. I’m a certified national volunteer for the organization and before the pandemic I participated in many local events for the MDA such as the Muscle Walk, Christmas Celebration, and Fill the Boot. Since COVID shut down local offices there’s now just one national office that puts together different events, campaigns, and fundraisers. Thankfully, I’m still able to volunteer virtually for the organization and even reach out across the country!” she says.

After her 2017 Miss New York International victory, Lexi  promised herself she’d be back to compete in and hopefully win the Mrs. New York competition, and in 2024, after getting married and having her sons, that dream came true. Lexi is currently working hard to represent New York at the 2024 Mrs. International competition this summer in Nashville. Of course, it will be a family affair as Cody and the boys will come along. The crowning event happens to fall on July 27th,  Lexi and Cody’s fifth anniversary, a good luck sign for sure. 

“If I were to win the title of Mrs. International I would have achieved my ultimate dream. I’ll continue to work on my platform, but bring it…to new heights and reach hundreds, if not thousands of more people in hopes to continually make a difference,” Lexi says.

After her long workday, Lexi treasures sacred time with her husband and children playing, eating dinner (Lexi admits she is not a very good cook. Cody takes the reins in this department.), doing tubby time, and reading before a 7 PM bed time. She hits the gym three nights a week only after her boys are asleep.

Not too long ago she found her son Easton standing on her crown box, his weight causing it to bend a little out of shape, a good metaphor for what it’s like to be Mrs. New York. In Lexi’s house there are two closets full of gowns and a box holding a crown, but there are also Legos and clothes scattered here and there, children and animals to be fed, lesson plans to write. 

“The crown and the sash are beautiful things, but I want people to see who I am inside,” she says.

Lexi hopes to boost others by her life and work. She wishes for all women to have the confidence to celebrate their inner and outer beauty and pursue their dreams. She knows that if she can impact others, then anyone who’s willing to dedicate their time, passion, and hard work can do the same.