Juliette Valle Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Juliette Valle is passionate about promoting organ donation, a talented singer, and the current Miss South Florida Fair. I was glad that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Juliette Valle visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss South Florida Fair crown?

I celebrated the win of my first Miss title with my parents who came and supported me! I wanted my family and friends to come, but I was so nervous for this competition that I kept it secret to everyone except my mom and dad. By the grace of God I ended up winning, and the looks on my parents’ faces were unforgettable. Whenever I think about it I almost want to cry. Despite it being just a local title (although local titles are SO important), I treated my preparation for this competition like it was that of a state or national level. A lot of hard work, determination, and prayer went into this process, so when it all paid off, me and my family were ecstatic! Of course, afterwards I celebrated with my South Florida Fair family, my mom and dad, and my sister queen, Miss Palm Beach County 2019 (Ashley Klement), who was crowned on the same night. It was one of the best moments of my life so far and one I will cherish forever! 

What has been the most pleasant surprise about your time as Miss South Florida Fair? 

Every experience I have had as Miss South Florida Fair 2020 has been an absolute joy! But my favorite moment I’d have to say is participating in the parades! The South Florida Fair puts on these huge, wonderful parade spectaculars with decorative floats, performers, etc., so when I got to ride an amazing float, I was so excited! I also got to ride in the back of a vintage Mercedes convertible on my first day as the Queen of the Fair- how cool is that?! 

I also got to meet the legendary Johnny Bench, who was a catcher for the Cincinnati Reds for 16 years! He was the Grand Marshal for one of the parades, and meeting him was very exciting! 

And lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge my fair family. They made my experience what is was-truly. Every step of the way their love, enthusiasm, and support made my journey so amazing! The volunteers for the fair work tirelessly to make sure that it is unforgettable for all who attend. Their dedication to helping others have an incredible experience is so admirable. My local director, Theresa Lepore, has been volunteering for the fair for decades, she is just one of the extremely generous people that help the South Florida Fair be as magical as possible. I so admire their commitment and generosity and appreciate them more than I could ever express!

What did you learn about yourself at the Miss South Florida Fair competition that will help you when you compete for Miss Florida?

While preparing for/competing at this Miss South a Florida Fair 2020 competition, I realized how wonderful it is to be surrounded by incredibly intelligent, hard-working, and beautiful young ladies. An interesting thing about the MSFF Competition is that we had months and months of meetings, rehearsals, and preparations before the big night. We began the process of auditioning for a spot in November 2019 and the competition was in January 2020. Now, this may not sound very long, but when you meet up with the same group of girls each weekend for several hours a day, you form a bond. By the end of the pageant, I felt like I had a sisterhood behind me that I was so elated to be a part of. We all grew so close because we were all experiencing the same things- nerves, excitement, feelings of hope- and having them by my side when I won was truly an incredible feeling. 

Because I got experience that sisterhood at my local, I am even more excited to see (and hopefully hug) my Miss Florida sisters! These ladies are the real deal. They are all winners and queens who work everyday to promote their social impact initiatives! I am so proud to be a part of this class of incredible MAO titleholders who love this organization just as much as I do. Of course, COVID-19 put a damper on our ability to see each other during 2020, but I know Spring/Summer of 2021 will bring exciting opportunities and the chance to finally interact with my sisters in person. It is because of these women (both my friends from local and state levels) that I have learned how genuinely motivating it is to have them as a support system, especially during a time as nerve-wracking as competing for a pageant. There is nothing more special than powerful women supporting other powerful women, and that genuine sense of friendship and comradery can change one’s entire experience.

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Life is Awesome, Pass it On”?

I grew up in a family where my father is a nephrologist, which is a kidney doctor, and my mother is a transplant nurse, so I have seen firsthand just how hard a kidney transplant, or any transplant, can be to achieve. This is what inspired me to create my platform “Life is awesome, Pass it on”, which is all about promoting organ donation awareness. I feel very strongly about this cause because I know that there are currently 110,000 people waiting on the list for a transplant. If I could possibly serve as a voice for their cause and become an ally for them, help to dispel myths that people believe about organ donation, and continue to raise money to donate to organ donation charities such as Donate Life America (which I am now a partner of), then I know all my hard work will have been worth it! 

I have spoken to many transplant patients who have either had

successful surgeries or who are still currently waiting for their perfect match. I have spoken to donors, many of whom are altruistic donors about the impact their act of generosity has had on their life. And I’ve spoken to friends and family of these people, whatever role they have played in their journey, and how it has affected them as a whole. Sharing peoples stories is the best way to raise awareness for an underrated cause such as this. In my life, organ donation is talked about every single day, but I do know that that is not the case for everyone, which is exactly why I am so passionate about advocating for my platform. Many people from across the world have direct messaged me and told me that they are either going to join the registry because they’ve been inspired by my work, or they applaud me for my advocacy because it makes the list that much shorter. On my social media accounts, I do a segment every single Tuesday called “Organ Donation Story” where I post inspiring tales of people who heroically stepped in to save another persons life. I also have a YouTube show called “The Silver Lining Show” where I do a segment called Donation Inspiration. This is my personal favorite because it allows me to speak one-on-one with these incredible people and share their stories with my audience. I am currently developing a podcast based on my web show entitled “The Silver Lining with Juliette Valle”, and I am so excited because I know this will help me increase my reach! 

In December you released a wonderful holiday single. Will there be more musical releases from you coming along?

Yes! On December 14th, 2020, I released my first single EVER, “Winter Wonderland”. I was lucky enough to collaborate with Vanquish Studios on this wonderful project. The full album is called “The Giving Season”; Christmas is the season of giving back and spreading cheer, and since 100% of my album proceeds are going directly to charity, I knew I wanted my album centered around that concept. 

I will be releasing six more songs (perhaps seven, if I add one more bonus, wink wink), and the full album will be released in the Fall of 2021. The 10 month gap between the single release and album debut is due to COVID delays; because my producer wanted to the process to be safe and comfortable during the pandemic, we pushed back recording time quite a bit. I decided to release the album in the fall of this year because I wanted it to have get all the promotion and glory it deserves! After all, the more attention it gets, the more money we raise for charity! Of course, I am anxious to get the album out, but at the same time, I am so excited to wrap up recording and start devising my marketing plan!

Please buy the album when it comes out, it’s for a great cause! 

I really enjoy the “The Silver Lining” video series on your YouTube channel. What is it like to put those together?

Aw, thank you very much! That means the world to me. 

In all honesty, it is a lot of work, but it is an absolute blast! It is honestly the project that got me through quarantine. The ability to connect with many inspiring and accomplished figures from across the country has been a privilege and a huge motivation for me to do better and think bigger! There is a process to making the show happen: 1. Getting the guest (usually they’re a public figure, so getting their attention can be a tad hard, but it’s so worth it!), 2. Drafting up the questions & Conducting the interview, which is always so much fun!, and 3. Editing in clips/music/captions/etc., which makes the video amazing, but takes HOURS!

“The Silver Lining Show” is like another job for me, but I absolutely adore it with all my heart and am very grateful for how it has changed my life. And as I mentioned earlier, I am producing it into a podcast format as well as a web show, so stay tuned for that announcement (early 2021)! Yay! 

If you could be a Disney Character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

I love this question! I would hands-down say Princess Belle. I

Photo by
Carlos Velez Studios

 have always loved her best; she loves to read, she is incredibly kind and caring, and she is extremely intelligent. I am a very outgoing person by nature, but as a child and pre-teen I felt very excluded by my classmates, so as a distraction, I would always read. When I watched “Beauty and the Beast” and could identify with the way Belle felt in her town, I felt so much more at ease. She will always have a soft spot in my heart; I am such a sucker for all things Disney! 

If you had an extra ticket to a Miami Marlins game, who would you bring with you? Why?

Definitely my amazing brother-in-law, David “Espy” Espinosa! The husband of my sister Cristin, Espy is extremely close to me and my family and has taken our existing love for baseball and increased it tenfold. 

Espy was selected as First Round Draft Pick by the Cincinnati Reds as a high school senior. Since then, he had an amazing career in MiLB, spanning over 15 years. He now works for the Cincinnati Reds as their International Crosschecker, so he knows everything it takes to become a legendary baseball player. If he attended a game with me, I know he would be teaching me so much, and learning from a professional like him would be so awesome! I am so proud of him; he is an incredible athlete, but I promise you it’s his heart of gold that is the best thing about him. 

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

I know it sounds very far-fetched (because it is), but it’s always been my dream to play IN a baseball game. Yes, you read that right, no need to adjust your reading glasses. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been obsessed with the movie, “A League of Their Own”, and I have always wanted to play ever since then. I am by no means a gifted athlete, but any time I watch Dottie catch a fastball with absolutely no effort, I think it is just the coolest thing! Bring female baseball leagues back- pretty please?

---

Now, that's what I call a goal! 

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

As Juliette continues her time as Miss South Florida Fair, I encourage you to check out her Instagram account, and official Facebook page. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on!

I also definitely want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss Florida title. It would be wonderful to have the first Section 36 visitor wear that crown!

 

Thanks again Juliette, and good luck!

Mariluz Cook Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has a new visitor! Mariluz Cook is a Depression Awareness advocate, the current Miss South Florida Fair, and...a

Yankees fan. Even so, I was thrilled she was able to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So let's see what happens when Mariluz Cook visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss South Florida Fair crown?

Winning Miss South Florida Fair was a dream that I have had pretty much my entire life. I actually competed for the title four consecutive years until I actually won, so there was a lot to celebrate when I finally did! Following the competition, a reception was held in which the South Florida Fair board, my family, friends, and candidates I competed with all attended. To be embraced by such an incredible community knowing I would have their full support leading into the Miss Florida Competition months later would mean the world to me. I spent every single day for the following two weeks at the fairgrounds. Every single day at the South Florida Fair offered a new opportunity to eat a new fair food, connect with guests, and tell a child she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to.

What has surprised you the most about your time as Miss South Florida Fair?

I feel as if I have had more unique experiences in the past nine-ish months as Miss South Florida Fair than I have had in my entire life. I led a motorcycle parade, kissed a livestock pig (a long-standing tradition for Miss South Florida Fair), milked cows, ate apple pie flavored crickets, cuddled baby goats, and won a women’s amateur food eating competition (eating corn, not crickets), but my most surprising moment came when I was attending a luncheon in which I was asked to sing the National Anthem because the scheduled singer was sick. I don’t exactly know why I, a pianist, said “yes”, but I did before I could fully think about what I had gotten myself into. It was funny because no one could genuinely say, “Wow! What a great rendition!”. I heard a lot of “Wow! You are so… brave.”. 

You finished in the top ten at the 2019 Miss Florida competition. What was that experience like?

I will never forget the feeling of hearing my name called, looking

Photo by Genie Bunton Photography

out into the audience barely able to make out the clump of people that were my family and friends waving wildly and cheering loudly for me, and then running into the arms of some of my dearest friends who had also been called as finalists. The moment was a culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice, an incredible support system, and God sustaining me through it all. I think that not making the top ten for the three years I competed at Miss Florida before this year made it all the more significant to me. It was one of the best feelings of my entire life. Most of the night was a fast-paced blur, but looking back, there are little moments in which time felt like it stood still. These moments consisted of times when I prayed for others, moments when I was prayed over, and my favorite moment where I stood with one of my best friends and fellow pianists, Aaliyah Manning, as we warmed our hands in her jacket she had brought backstage for the specific purpose of preventing cold, stiff fingers while performing our talents onstage. I could go on and on about the little moments in which I was encouraged and empowered by Miss Florida sisters that night, regardless of whether they were competing with me in the finals or not. I will never forget it. 

How did you select your social impact initiative “Depression Awareness - Lend a Helping Hand”?

Photo by Valerie Schwartz Photography

Prior to a suicide that happened in my family, I did not have a good understanding of depression or mental health in general. This suicide served as a major wake up call in my life, as I came to the realization that depression and mental illnesses do not discriminate. Anyone is susceptible to struggling. When I began competing in the Miss America Organization in 2015 and was prompted to select a social impact initiative, Depression Awareness was the clear answer for me. I am very passionate about spreading awareness of organizations that are able to help those who are struggling. I have personally been inspired by the work of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the 211 HelpLine. I am so thankful I get to use my South Florida Fair crown to bring light to the resources these organizations offer for our communities!

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

First off, thank you for that kind compliment! Second, performing

Photo by Genie Bunton Photography

on stage, specifically performing my Miss Florida talent piece of Malagueña by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona, is a way of combining my grandfather’s love for music and my Cuban heritage, as my grandfather on my father’s side of the family was a very talented musician while my mother’s side of the family is from Cuba. Performing on the Miss Florida stage in and of itself is exhilarating, as it represents the pinnacle of hundreds of hours spent at a piano in preparation for ninety seconds on stage and the unique opportunity to pay homage to my family through music.

What is your personal fitness routine?

It varies, as I like to switch things up to avoid getting bored, but my consistency lies in taking Sunday evenings to plan my meals and workouts for the week, as setting those intentions keeps me motivated and accountable. Typically, I strength train, often with my best friend, three to four times a week. I aim to do some form of cardio five times a week which could look like running, rewatching episodes of The Office while on the elliptical, or taking a cardio kickboxing class at my local YouFit. Currently, I am training for my first marathon, so I have been running every other day, usually with my longest runs of the week on weekends. 

While in college, you were able to work as a sideline reporter for your school baseball team. What did you learn from that position?

 Aside from learning the importance of oil blotting sheets (the

South Florida sun is no joke), I learned that there is always an opportunity to learn. As a woman working in baseball, I have heard a lot of “So… how much do you even know about baseball?” before even opening my mouth. Even more exhausting than receiving questions of that manner was constantly feeling the need to defend my baseball knowledge. About half way through the Florida Atlantic University baseball season, someone kindly taught me the terminology for two plays in baseball that I had seen countless times, but never really thought about what they might be called. They were “suicide squeeze” and “safety squeeze”. That specific interaction made me realize that my defensiveness, although often justified, and pride could tremendously hinder opportunities for development as a reporter. While I hope to see a day in which my abilities as a reporter are not put into question because of my gender, I have learned that it is perfectly okay to not know it all, as not knowing it all means that there is always going to be an opportunity for growth, whether in my career or any other facet of my life. 

As a Yankees fan, who is your favorite Red Sox player? Why?

I accidentally picked Mookie Betts first round in a fantasy baseball draft last year and was initially so mad at myself for doing so, as it felt like a form of betrayal. By the end of the season, I was so thankful I made that “mistake”, as he was the best and most consistent player on my fantasy team. I will root for him throughout his entire career. He was so much fun to watch at Fenway!

You were recently able to enjoy a game at Fenway, from Section 36. What was that trip like?

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention singing “Sweet Caroline” in a

sea of red and white. I will never forget it. The entire experience was just absolutely unreal. Although I am not a Red Sox fan, I can genuinely say that I get it now. Being a baseball fan, I have been to hundreds of baseball games at a number of different stadiums throughout my life, but there is something truly special about Fenway. In a world in which many are concerned about the relevance of baseball in the future, I left Fenway feeling so encouraged! The stadium was full and the love for America’s pastime was very much alive. 

—-

Why would anyone "accidentally" draft Mookie Betts?!

As always, I want to thank Mariluz for doing this interview, and for sending along the amazing pictures. They really make the post much better.

As Mariluz continues her time as Miss South Florida Fair, I encourage you to follow her on her official Facebook page. You should also follow her personal twitter and Instagram accounts. They’re great ways to keep up with everything she has going on! You should also be sure to check out her sports journalist website to see all the amazing things she's done, and will do!

Thanks again Mariluz!