Entering her hometown pageant, Ward vied for the Miss Wolcott 2011 title in November 2010 and for the Miss Wolcott 2012 title in November 2011 but failed to claim the crown both times.
[11] She entered the Miss Connecticut pageant in June 2015 as one of 13 qualifiers for the state title.
[15][16] Ward won the competition on Saturday, June 27, 2015, when she received her crown from outgoing Miss Connecticut titleholder Acacia Courtney.
[16] Ward was Connecticut's representative at the Miss America 2016 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in September 2015.
Ward is a May 2015 graduate of Central Connecticut State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education.