Everything is Possible

Local teenager off to national competition

Kelcy Dolan
Posted 7/23/15

From a young age, Gabriella Costantini was a “girly girl,” strutting around in dresses. Her paternal grandfather, Nonno, even used to call her Miss America.

So it came as no surprise that …

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Everything is Possible

Local teenager off to national competition

Posted

From a young age, Gabriella Costantini was a “girly girl,” strutting around in dresses. Her paternal grandfather, Nonno, even used to call her Miss America.

So it came as no surprise that growing up, Gabriella wanted to be in a beauty pageant.

Her mother would tell her when she was older she could talk to her maternal grandmother, Mimi, who had served as a judge for several pageants.

In May of this year, Gabriella, 15, decided she wanted to enter, and barely a month later she had won her first pageant, crowned Miss American Teenager for Rhode Island’s Junior Division.

Now, on Aug. 6, she will head down to Mt. Laurel, N.J., for the national competition at the Coco Key Water Resort and Hotel. Despite never having participated in a pageant previously, Gabriella went into the competition confident.

Her mother, Michelle Costantini, said confidence is easily one of her daughter’s strong suits.

“Just for her to enter into the event is big. Not too many people would have the confidence to get up there in front of everyone. I know I couldn’t,” she said. “She has always had this internal confidence.”

The competition, held June 28 at the Alpine Country Club in Cranston, had several facets, including the opening number or introductions, evening wear, swimwear, interview and an optional category where contestants could either do supermodel, fun fashion or talent.

Gabriella chose to do fun fashion, where contestants were asked to wear an outfit they felt showed off their personality best. She wore a coral dress, nude wedges and a jean jacket.

“It was such a bright outfit and I’m always smiling. I thought it captured my bubbly nature,” she said.

Her favorite category was evening gown, because she has always loved getting “all dolled up.”

“The best moment was when I came out in my evening gown and seeing all the mouths drop in the crowd and everyone who was smiling,” Gabriella said.

The only time Gabriella was a little nervous was during her interview, because “you’re trying to be natural, but you want the judges to like who you are.”

“Most people think it’s just a beauty contest,” Gabriella said. “It’s not just based on beauty, but your poise how you act around others and who you are as a person.”

Questions during the interview included where contestants would like to visit, three unusual things about themselves and the best advice they’ve ever received.

Gabriella said she would love to visit Italy to see her family on her father’s side, and in terms of unusual things about herself, she said she goes to bed early “for a teenager” and is usually the first one asleep in her house.

She also loves to cook the food of her heritage, and after a situation with a rogue alarm system while she was in the house alone, she prefers not be home by herself.

The best advice she had ever been given came from her father after Gabriella was struggling in one of her honors courses at Johnston High School: “Everything is possible unless you make it impossible.”

Taking that advice, she went back, worked harder, and passed the course.

Her father, Philip Costantini, said it meant a lot to him to know his daughter thought his advice was some of the best.

“You try and give them the best advice you can, and I’m glad it does make a difference for her,” he said.

Her parents were only two of many who came out to see Gabriella in her first pageant.

Nearly 20 family and friends made up her cheering section for the event, and many of them will be traveling to New Jersey to see Gabriella compete in the Nationals.

“I think I may have had the most people there,” she said.

Gabriella’s mother was more nervous than her daughter, after dropping her off at 10 in the morning and being unable to see her until the competition began at 4 in the afternoon.

Michelle said: “Win or lose, in my eyes, she was going to be a winner no matter what. Then, when she walked out and she just shined – her smile, her personality, everything she is was shining. I was ecstatic.”

When the pageant was finally coming towards a close, Gabriella’s heart started racing, they kept “stalling” before the announcement of the junior division winner.

When they finally did announce Garbriella as the winner, she had to stop for a moment to take it all in and realize that she had actually won.

“My mouth was open the whole time with this huge smile,” she said.

Gabriella and her family are still reeling from the win.

“It was exciting and emotional,” Philip said. “It was something new for us and it’s your daughter achieving something beautiful.”

Her mother said everything happened so fast they almost can’t believe it.

Having enjoyed her first pageant so much, Gabriella is excited to go down to New Jersey for the nationals and the new competition it will bring.

The pageant will be bigger than the one hosted here, and there will be more girls competing for the title, but she still has confidence she will do well.

She said that anyone interested in pageantry should give it a try, but her advice would be: “Just have fun and don’t change, be yourself. There’s only one of you, and that’s what the judges are looking for.”

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