Angelina Amerigo Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has a new visitor! Angelina Amerigo is a pollution reduction advocate, a talented dancer, and the current Miss Heart of the Lakes. That makes her the first visitor to Section 36 from the great state of Minnesota! I was thrilled that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So let's see what happens when Angelina Amerigo visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Heart of the Lakes crown? 

The night I won my Miss Heart of the Lakes crown I most definitely went to bed with the biggest smile on my face, and I woke up re-playing all the amazing moments from the day. From the sweet girls I met, and all of the amazing connections I made. I continued to celebrate later that weekend with my incredible family in Kansas City, MO over Memorial weekend. A huge shoutout to my amazing mom, dad and older sister for their continued support going into that competition weekend and now leading to the Miss Minnesota competition! I couldn't do it without you guys. 

What did you learn about yourself at the Miss Heart of the Lakes competition that will help you at Miss Minnesota? 

This is an amazing question, and it’s truly hard to pick just one

thing I learned about myself at the Miss Heart of the Lakes competition. But, I would say one thing that I will carry along to the Miss Minnesota competition in June, is staying true to myself, and being as grounded as possible. When I am in what I like to call “competition mode” it can be really easy to get in your head and take your mind off course. Something that helps me stay focused is concentrating on all of the things in my life that I am grateful for, and remembering how I got to where I am today!

What has surprised you the most about your time as Miss Heart of the Lakes? 

Something that has surprised me the most with my time so far being Miss Heart of the Lakes is how my effect on this great big world is so powerful. I’ve come to realize that we all have a purpose and a reason we were put on this earth. We are all paving our own personal journeys. The journey of life most definitely doesn't always come easy but the bumps in the road are what make the success that much sweeter! The Miss America 2.0 organization is giving opportunities to so many women across the world and I truly couldn't be any more grateful for this amazing group of people. 

How did you select your social impact initiative: One bottle, one straw, one bag at a time? 

My social impact initiative started as a small idea, but the more

and more I thought about it I realized what a huge topic this was and how it needed to be discussed on a much larger spectrum. I had recently read before the competition that there will be “more plastic than marine life in our oceans by 2050” and at that moment I knew it was the topic for me. Plastic pollution is not only affecting the state of the earth we live in but is affecting a large list of precious marine life. As an animal, and ocean lover my whole life I felt it was necessary to embrace the opportunity of having such an amazing platform to bring this topic to life! 

As a talented dancer, what is your favorite part about performing on stage? 

Let’s begin with me saying dance truly has shaped and formed me into the person I am today. Dance has taught me so much about myself and others. I would have to say my favorite part about performing on stage is the feeling of surrender and living in the moment. There is truly no way to describe this feeling, but for all my dancers or performers out there I’m sure you know exactly what I mean! Apart from performing on stage, dance has taught me how to overcome any obstacles thrown my way and to never give up. Persistence is key. Never let anyone tell you that you aren't good enough, or that you won't make it. Believe in yourself and know your self-worth and you will go so far! Someone who has instilled a large amount of confidence in me and has always pushed me to be the absolute best version of myself is my amazing older sister Isabella Amerigo! She has choreographed each of my solos since a very young age and I wouldn't be the dancer or person I am today without her guidance. 

If you could be a Disney character for a week, which would you choose? Why? 

First off, let me say I love Disney and I would be more than happy

to be anyone of the princesses for a week but if I were to choose just one, I would have to say, Jasmine. I’ve always thought of her as someone who is defying the odds and standing up against stereotypes, She is a free-spirit much like myself! Jasmine has such a powerful personality and knows what her goals are. Jasmine demanded not to be treated as an object and continued to live her life the way she imagined. I too am dreaming of living the life ahead of me and achieving all the goals I have set for myself.

What is your personal fitness routine? 

My personal fitness routine these days starts with a good 2-mile run, cardio, stretching and a set of weights! Plus, I always leaving time to run through my talent routine. As a dancer, my workout always had consisted of 5 to 6 hours of dancing a night but that has changed a bit since the beginning of this year due to my college schedule. Although I am no longer on a competitive team, I’m unbelievably grateful to have the opportunity to teach this year, and pass on all that I have learned through the years! Shoutout to my amazing dance studio DelMonico Dance. They are a dance family like no other and everyone's support means the world to me! 

Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game you would especially like to experience? 

If I were to attend a baseball game I would sure love to experience watching a home run! I can imagine the crowd going wild. Another feature I would love to experience is meeting the players on the team and being able to personally meet them. Maybe even get to talk to them about my social impact initiative and how they could help. That would be so crazy!

If you had an extra ticket to a Red Sox-Twins game, who would you bring? Why? 

If I had an extra ticket to a Red Sox- Twins game it sure would be hard to choose just one person so I would have to say, my whole family! I know my mom and dad would especially love going because they attended the World Series game when the Twins won in 1987! It sure would be a fun experience to enjoy a game all together

---

That would definitely be tons of fun!

As always, I want to thank Angelina for doing this interview, and for sending along the fantastic pictures. They really make the post a lot more fun.

As Angelina continues her time as Miss Heart of the Lakes, I encourage you to follow her on her official Perham Pageants Facebook page as well as her personal Facebook page. You should also follow her on her official Instagram account. They’re all great ways to see what she’s up to during her year with the crown.

Also, the Children's Miracle Network is the official charity of Miss America. So, Angelina is of course helping to raise money for that great cause. If you can help, please visit her donation page.

I also want to wish Angelina luck when she competes for the Miss Minnesota crown. As the first visitor to Section 36 from the state, this will be the first chance for a visitor to go on and take that title. That would be incredible!

Thanks again Angelina, and good luck!