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Behind the Dimples
01/16/2007 - By Lauren Covino Lauren Covino interviews Miss New Jersey Princess Gianna Paglio and her parents..." From stage to sandbox-- life remains fun and unchanged for Miss New Jersey Princess Gianna Paglio and her parents..."
As soon as I shook Gianna’s hand it became obvious that she is a sincere young girl with a golden heart. Very bright and always anxious to share a story, her giggle was contagious and her stories were filled with imagination. She stands no taller than 3’7”, but in a quick two hours she was able to convey one of life’s biggest and best kept secrets- enjoy every moment and have the time of your life.
Gianna Paglio, just 6 years old, adopts that philosophy and doesn’t even realize it. She has accomplished in a short time what many dream of for a lifetime. As the reigning Miss New Jersey Princess for the National American Miss pageant, Gianna understands that her life has taken some pretty special turns in the past year.
Her cozy bedroom is filled with trophies taller than she is, several beautifully jeweled crowns, and dozens of sashes from various competitions. She has met some of the most influential people in the
, including Marlboro Mayor Dr. Robert Kleinberg; she was featured in the Asbury Park Press, was a guest on 94.3 FM “The Point” radio station and made a special appearance on Good Morning America in April 2006. Yet none of the glamour and excitement has changed this special little girl who enjoys SpongeBob Squarepants and adores her mother and father. Her involvement with National American Miss, as incredible as it continues to be, is something that Gianna loves because she makes new friends, learns about herself, and has fun- three important things we should all try to keep in mind as we go through life.
Garden
State
Gianna’s future holds great possibilities and she has a supportive family who gives her the encouragement to help get her there. Living in Marlboro enjoyed learning about this tight-knit family of six, their cross-country pageant adventures, and hearing from her parents, Tom and Dina- the extraordinary foundation behind it all.
LIM: How old were you when you entered your first beauty pageant, National American Miss, with 92 other girls competing?
GP: I was 5 years old and now I am 6. I was so excited for it!
LIM: Tell me about that first time. Did you understand what was happening, and how did you feel afterwards when you found out you were first runner-up for “Most Photogenic” and placed in the top 15?
GP: I was soooo nervous! I barely knew what was happening and only smiled a little bit. When my name was announced and everyone started cheering, I didn’t know what to do, so I just stood there and smiled.
LIM: What is the morning of a competition like for you?
GP: I usually am a little nervous but always excited to get into my beautiful dress and have my mother do my hair.
LIM: What do you like the best about being in beauty pageants?
GP: I love the interviewing part and speaking to the judges! They ask me all kinds of questions like what my favorite cartoon character is and how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I have to sit with my legs crossed, hands folded on a table, and stare right into their eyes, but I like talking to them. They make me feel comfortable.
LIM: Is there anything that you dislike or would change?
GP: Sometimes it’s hard for me to wake up early, but I do it. One thing that makes me really sad is when my best friend Brielle doesn’t win a pageant. In the last pageant I was in she wished me good luck but didn’t win anything in the end. If she ended up the winner I would be so happy and wouldn’t have to feel sad.
LIM: Do you think you would like to continue competing in pageants when you get older, say in your teenage years?
GP: Definitely! I would love to be Miss
someday. I think even at ages 19 and 20 I will still love competing for even bigger crowns and more trophies!
America
LIM: Is there anything special you do to prepare yourself before a pageant?
GP: I never take my toys with me on my trips because I am afraid I will lose them, but for good luck my grandmother Mema lights a candle to bring me good luck. I think of that and it helps me to stay calm.
LIM: Do you have a favorite story or memory you’d like to share with us?
GP: I have so many; I can’t remember them right now! (giggles)
LIM: What do your brothers and friends think about you participating in these competitions?
GP: I think they really enjoy it. My three brothers usually come to my competitions, and Thomas even walks me on stage sometimes. My cousin came to the state pageant one time and I loved having her there when I won!
LIM: What else have you thought about becoming when you grow up?
GP: I have thought about being a teacher, a biologist, or a pediatrician. I really want to help children and I talk about that in my stage speech at pageants.
LIM: What types of things do you enjoy doing outside of competing?
GP: I love to take dance. Hip hop, ballet, and tap are the classes I take during the week at Dance Attitudes. I like to swim too and am learning how.
LIM: Tell me what you like about living in Marlboro. What are your favorite places to go and restaurants to eat at?
GP: My favorite part about where I live is making new friends. I always meet new girls when I am with my mother. I love eating at home and my parents make the best meals, but the restaurant I went to after winning my last competition was Brioso’s- and that was great!
LIM: What is our favorite room in your house and why?
GP: I really love our living room because it’s cozy and I get to watch TV! When we have our Christmas tree set up in there too, it’s my favorite place to be.
LIM: What school do you currently attend and who is your favorite teacher?
GP: I go to Marlboro Elementary and my favorite teacher is my homeroom teacher Mrs. Siver, but it’s hard to pick just one.
(The following questions were directed at Gianna’s parents, Gina and Tom Paglio)
LIM: How did Gianna’s career in beauty pageants start?
T/DP: It was actually very funny. We went to have pictures taken at the mall one day and someone from the store saw the photos. We received an application in the mail the next week for a pageant. Never in a million years did we think Gianna would be interested, but when we asked her she said, “Yes!”
LIM: Was she excited about competing from the beginning or did she have to warm up to the experience?
T/DP: She really was excited, which surprised us. Gianna was always very shy and quiet. Even where she takes dance classes at Dance Attitudes in Marlboro, she didn’t use to like performing in front of other parents. I remember visiting the class one night with other mothers and she refused to dance in front of the group. I was concerned. However, from the start of these pageants there was no coaxing involved, and she wanted to enter. Dance Attitudes was so amazing and offered to work with her throughout her pageants. The first time she got on stage she didn’t have a clue what to expect, though she turned on that smile and glowed like a light switch and was such a pro!
LIM: How did you feel the first time she won big?
DP: I bawled! Like it was yesterday, I can just hear the announcer of the Miss Long Island pageant call her name over and over again, first for Best Personality, then for something else (I was probably in a daze at that point), and finally for Overall 1st Place. It was unbelievable. I think when Gianna heard my cry of joy in the audience she was scared. Then she realized she won and saw the tears of joy and began to cry also.
LIM: As parents, do you have any fears about Gianna participating in these pageants?
T/DP: Definitely not. The National American Miss Organization is such a positive influence in all the girls’ lives who compete. They really encourage them to make friends with one another, come out of their shells, and be confident young ladies. Their mission statement says something similar to “…celebrating American’s greatness and encouraging its future leaders.”
LIM: What types of things do you do to ensure that Gianna lives the life of a normal 6-year old?
T/DP: We do not have to change a thing about the way Gianna lives and hope it always stays that way. She is as normal as any other 6-year old… makes friends, loves her family, and enjoys school. She has never let competing and winning these enormous trophies get to her head. During a competition she’s in the moment- but when we walk off stage and get in the car, she’s either asleep in the backseat or playing with her brothers. To her it’s just fun! We really hope it always stays that way.
LIM: Do you feel torn at all about the attention and spotlight on Gianna as opposed to your other children?
T/DP: Gianna’s competitions are really about the entire family. Of course, with four children we are pulled in so many different directions, but we love being able to experience the pageants as a group. Gianna’s oldest brother, Thomas, has walked her across the stage arm-in-arm several times before- that’s really neat to see. It’s definitely a lot of work packing up all six of us and jumping on a plane, but once we get there everyone enjoys the time spent eating out, shopping, going to amusement parks and, of course, rooting Gianna on.
LIM: What is your advice to other parents who may want to enter their children into beauty parents?
T/DP: Encourage your child if they are really excited, but do you homework. The most important thing to get across to other parents would be to research the kind of pageant they’re thinking of entering their child into. Find something that benefits their self-esteem and allows their personality to shine. Stay away from what’s known as “glitzy” pageants. Those really focus solely on looks and beauty- some of those little girls are so done up, they even have false teeth! We realized immediately that glitzy was not for us… or our daughter. The National American Miss Organization is by far the classiest and well-managed we have ever seen. Instead of covering Gianna’s face with makeup each time she competes, we always leave her natural, and that’s how all the girls are. It’s ‘what you see is what you get’ and we wouldn’t want it any other way.
LIM: We spoke about Gianna’s friends and sibling. What about your friends’ and extended family’s reactions to her competitions?
T/DP: Everyone loves it! They get so excited when she wins, of course, and some relatives have even come to see her compete in local pageants. She’s a little star in our family, but doesn’t even realize it.
LIM: Tell me about what brought you to Marlboro.
T/DP: Our oldest was 2 years old at the time, so it would be about 13 years ago. We wanted to move further south from Union and heard the school system in Marlboro was very good, so we gave it a shot and have been here ever since.
LIM: What types of things do you love about this town, having raised a family here?
T/DP: It’s a great place to raise a family. It’s nice that, as busy as
has become in the past 10 years, there are still farmhouses and a rural sense about it. We have a nice neighborhood and the property is just what we pictured for our kids.
Monmouth
County
LIM: Do you think you will stay in Marlboro or move somewhere closer to bigger pageants?
T/DP: The plan is to stay here, but who knows what turns life will take! We aren’t planning on moving anywhere soon for Gianna’s pageants.
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