Wednesday, August 30, 2023
2022 Topps Chrome Platinum Blaster!
Monday, August 28, 2023
Check Out My Rookies!
Let's have a look, shall we?
Friday, August 25, 2023
Emily Anastasio Visits Section 36!
Claire Marchand |
So, let's see what happens when Emily Anastasio visits Section 36!
How did you celebrate winning the Miss Connecticut’s Teen crown?
After I won the title of Miss Connecticut’s Teen, I celebrated with my family! We had a huge BBQ cookout at my uncle’s house and had a blast talking about my experiences during Miss Connecticut Week.
How did you select your Community Service Initiative: Alzheimer’s Awareness?
When choosing my Community Service Initiative, I knew I wanted to support an organization and initiative that was near and dear to my heart. Both of my great grandmother’s suffered from Alzheimer’s, and after watching the effects that it had on them both and learning more about this debilitating disease, I knew that I wanted to help and educate people on Alzheimer’s and the effects that it has on patients and their caretakers.
What is something that Peyton Troth did as Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen that you would like to emulate?
At such a young age, Peyton has been able to accomplish so much. She has broken barriers for young women across the state, and has overcome so many challenges to get to where she is today. As her successor, I have big shoes to fill and a legacy to continue, and as Miss Connecticut’s Teen 2023, I would like to follow in Peyton’s footsteps and continue to speak up and speak out about things that I am passionate about, in hopes to create positive change within the state of Connecticut.
As a talented dancer, what do you enjoy most about performing on stage?
Catherine Fiehn |
If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?
If I could be a Disney character for a week, I would choose to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Belle is always kind to everyone that she meets, and doesn’t care about the negative opinions that others may have about her. She is willing to lend a helping hand to anyone that needs it, and is incredibly smart!
Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?
As an avid baseball lover and Red Sox fan, I have already experienced so many wonderful activities at Fenway Park, from having a ball tossed to me by Cristian Vasquez, getting to watch batting practice on top of the Green Monster, meeting my favorite baseball player, JD Martinez, singing Sweet Caroline at the top of my lungs, and seeing several home runs leave the park. One thing that I haven’t experience yet, is getting to announce at a baseball game on national television. My dream job is to work as a Sports Broadcaster at ESPN or NESN, so getting to pursue that would be an absolute dream come true!That would definitely be a dream!
As usual, I want to thank Emily for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.
I also want to wish Emily luck when she competes for Miss America's Teen! It would be fantastic to have the first Section 36 Forever wear that crown.
I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Emily during her journey as Miss Connecticut's Teen. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account, Facebook page, and website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on.
Thanks again Emily, and good luck!
Friday, August 18, 2023
Gina Carloto Visits Section 36!
Claire Marchand |
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 |
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 |
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)!
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!
Thursday, August 17, 2023
It's Down To 45!
Friday, August 11, 2023
Arianna Shanks Visits Section 36!
So, let's see what happens when Arianna Shanks visits Section 36!
How did you celebrate winning the Miss Banks of the Wabash crown?
When I decided I was competing, I told my family not to worry about attending the competition. It was my first time ever competing and I didn’t expect much. Lucky for me my parents disregarded my wishes and came anyway. They brought me flowers and were very supportive, but since it was so late they had to head home. I went back to college and found my whole friend group in my dorm ready to throw me a congratulations party, which was so special!
What has been the biggest surprise about your time as Miss Banks of the Wabash?
For me it’s been the doors that have been opened! I’ve been trying to volunteer in my community for years, but I’ve found that opportunities present themselves much more frequently when you have a title. I’ve gotten some really amazing opportunities for advocacy and service and I hope to continue my work for a long time.
This summer you competed at your first Miss Indiana competition. What was your favorite memory from that experience?
I loved every single second of competing for Miss Indiana, but the memory that really stands out is from the first preliminary night, where I answered my on-stage question. In my answer about supporting survivors I gave a few statistics about domestic violence. At one point I could literally hear the reaction to the statistics ripple through the audience; when I came off the stage after answering my on stage question, I had someone thank me. They said they were grateful for my bravery, and that I made them tear up while I was talking. They told me to keep going, and keep sharing my story, because they too were a survivor who never got the chance to do what I was doing. You can see it in someone’s eyes when they’ve lived the same experience as you, and most of the women i interacted with post-competition didn’t have to say a word. We shared a knowing glance and their appreciation (and my admiration for them) was obvious. I will never forget that.
How did you select your social impact initiative, “The Gabby Project”?
“The Gabby Project” itself is a project that uses education to attempt to prevent domestic violence and uses every resource possible to support survivors. I know for some people it can be hard to pick an initiative, but for me I could feel it in my gut the minute I realized I needed to pick something to advocate for. Since I was so new to MAO, I didn’t have years to think about what was important to me; instead I had about a month to pick and perfect my platform. I had been personally affected by domestic violence, which is what fueled my passion to protect other girls like me.
I was 15 when I got into my relationship with my abuser. Too young to have enough dating experience to spot red flags, and too young to understand that the way I was being treated was completely unacceptable.
I strongly believe that if someone then had been doing what I’m doing now, my abuse could’ve been prevented. If I had someone looking out for me and educating me on what abuse looks like, I would never have ended up in that position in the first place.
My initiative is called “The Gabby Project” as a testament to how young I was when my abuse started. Many people don’t know this, but “Gabby” is me. My grandfather called me “Gabby” as a child as a nickname for me, because my full name is Arianna Gabrielle. He called me that for YEARS, and hearing that name reminds me of being a child: which is exactly what I was at 15. All I have ever wanted is simultaneously use my story as a warning against abuse, and as proof that you are not what happens to you.
You’re currently studying kinesiology at the University of Indianapolis. Where do you see that field taking you?
My hope is that I’ll attend Uindy’s school of physical therapy and graduate with my DPT. Our current Miss Indiana works at Riley Children’s Hospital as a registered nurse, and my dream is to work there as a pediatric physical therapist.
What is your personal fitness routine?
I pretty much live in the gym. Strength training helps me feel a sense of control, and it’s nice to see the amazing things that my body is capable of. My typical week consists of 6 heavy lifting days, 3-4 cardio days, and 2-3 yoga classes. I like to incorporate all of these things to keep myself well rounded.
If you could be a Disney Character for a week, who would you choose? Why?
If we’re counting Marvel as disney, I would say Shuri from Black Panther. She is incredibly cool, and has access to amazing technology. I also love her fiery personality and her fashion sense. As a science nerd, I would love to have access to her labs and research even if it was just for a week!
If you had an extra ticket to a Fort Wayne Tincaps baseball game, who would you take with you? Why?
I would take my Dad with me! He loves the atmosphere of sports games, and he’s usually the person I go to baseball or basketball games with. Mostly though, I would take him with me because he deserves a day off. He works so hard all day every day to support me and my siblings, and I’ve never heard him complain, even once. he is so focused on serving others he forgets to find time for himself. I love getting to spend time with him and it would be a lot of fun to take a trip with just him.
Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?
I’ve always wanted to throw the first pitch at a baseball game! My hometown actually has their own minor league, called the Jackrabbits. I think it would be super special to get to throw the first pitch, especially because I’m currently the only pageant queen in/from my hometown!
As always, I want to thank Arianna for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.
I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Emma during the rest of her journey. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account. It's a great way to keep track of everything she has going on, and you'll be sure not to miss anything.
Thanks again Arianna, and good luck !
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