Gina Carloto Visits Section 36!

Claire Marchand

Section 36 had another visitor! Gina Carloto is passionate about giving back to communities, a talented dancer, and the current Miss Connecticut. I was so thrilled that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Gina Carloto visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Connecticut crown? 

I knew that whether I won or not, I was going straight to Krispy Kreme for glazed donuts! After all of the excitement, photos, and cleaning up the dressing room, I did just that and ordered 2 dozen glazed donuts. We're so fortunate to have had Mohegan Sun host Miss CT week because of their hospitality and great food choices. After sharing some donuts with friends and family, I went right home to celebrate with my dog, Dakota!

What is something Sylvana Gonzalez did as Miss Connecticut that you would like to emulate? 

Catherine Fiehn

Sylvana's dedication to the organization and making the most of her year as Miss Connecticut by remaining present is something I'd like to emulate. Whenever I saw photos of Sylvana at appearances, it was evident that she was fully engaged and invested in whatever it was she was doing - whether it was reading to children or participating in a community event, Sylvana was fully immersed in every moment, not missing a single beat. Being present is so important nowadays because it's so easy to be distracted by technology, social media, and other things.

What part of the upcoming Miss America competition are you most nervous about? 

Getting all my luggage to the location, especially if we have to fly, makes me most nervous! Given we travel with our entire wardrobe - gowns, interview outfits, shoes, and other irreplaceable, special items, I would never want my luggage getting lost or delayed.

How did you select your Community Service Initiative, “The Grace Collective”? 

From a young age, my mom taught me the importance of serving and giving back to our local communities through volunteerism and community service. When she was in the hospital before she passed from cancer, we talked at length about how I planned to honor her legacy and uphold the values she instilled throughout my life. Despite being a single mother, my mom extended herself to others through community service and advocating for victims of domestic violence through various fundraisers, events, food and clothing drives, and by donating anything extra as she was able. In addition, my mom ensured I received an education and doing well in school was imperative in our household. I'm fortunate that my mom instilled the importance of self-love and respect in me, and am grateful for

the beautiful bond she and I shared. The word, "Grace" comes from a saying her nurses and doctors at Smilow Cancer Hospital always said to her during her battle with cancer: "Remember to show yourself grace." I will never forget those words and have chosen to honor my mom's legacy through The Grace Collective by aiming to impact communities through various health, education, advocacy, and love (HEAL) initiatives.

What do you enjoy most about performing your talent on stage? 

Catherine Fiehn

I love sharing my passion for dance and years of training with the audience. Seeing people dancing or clapping to the music and immersing themselves in my performance makes me feel fulfilled as a performer. Dance is a universal language and the arts are an outlet for many people from different walks of life - having the ability to communicate with others through movement is such a blessing.

What is your personal fitness routine? 

I enjoy taking Pure Barre and Orangetheory Fitness classes because the structure helps me get a productive workout completed in a short amount of time and holds me accountable to working out. However, I also love going to the gym, taking dance classes as much as possible, and teaching conditioning classes! I plan to teach more classes throughout my year as Miss Connecticut to engage my community and uphold my personal values that I've integrated into my community service initiative. My favorite way to stay #MissAmericaFit is taking my dog for walks/runs every morning and evening.

You currently work as a fund accountant at a hedge fund. What drew you to that field? 

Before attending school for finance, I earned a BFA in Commercial Dance while living in Los Angeles for almost 5 years. Upon moving home, I decided to go back to school at Sacred Heart University and earned a Bachelor of Science in finance and accounting and went on to earn an MBA in finance. During undergrad, I interned with a Big 4 public accounting firm, but felt I was best suited at a private firm to learn and grow in my career, as my desire was not to be an accountant. My role as a fund accountant is much less focused on debits and credits, which I enjoy. I am on my company's valuations team so I contribute to valuing the financial investments in our portfolio across various fund structures.

If you had an extra ticket to see the Red Sox play at Fenway Park, who would you take with you? Why? 

My mom was born and raised in Massachusetts so all of her family members are Red Sox fans! I would definitely take my cousin Savannah with me because she moved at a young age to Nevada, and still has a fierce dedication to the Red Sox and is one of their biggest fans!

Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience? 

I like to think I have a pretty good arm, so I'd love to throw first pitch! Singing the National Anthem is definitely out because singing is unfortunately not a talent I possess (I think I'll stick to dance)!

---

The first pitch sounds like a great idea!

As always, I want to thank Gina for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

I also want to wish her luck when she competes for Miss America! It would be fantastic to have another Section 36 Forever wear that crown.

I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Gina during her journey. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account and Facebook page. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on. You should also follow her personal socials like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. If you're on LinkedIn, find her there as well. You should also follow her CSI's Instagram to see what's going on there. God ahead and do it all!

Thanks again Gina, and good luck!