Some say it was beginner’s luck for Georgina Paez, 12, as she walked away from her first-ever pageant, crowned as USA National Miss Pre-Teen 2018 in January.
But that would suggest such a feat could ever happen without hours and hours of hard work, determination, and natural talent.
So was it luck?
“I don’t know,” Paez said. “Maybe just a little luck. But I do know it’s been a dream come true.”
Achieving the state title in January in Melbourne, FL, she earned the honor of moving on to represent Florida in Orlando, July 1-10, where six prestigious national titles will be awarded, including in the USA National Pre-Teen category, in which Paez will compete against peers from all around the United States.
“This entire experience has been magical,” Paez said at her National Pageant Send-Off Party earlier this month hosted by her mom, Barbara Munoz of Kendall.
It was during the June 6 gathering at the Miami Airport Hilton it became evident that, at this level in the national pageantry system, it truly takes an entire team of supporters and professionals to make “magic” happen.
Mingling about were Damaris Aguiar from DAMA School of Modeling, Paez’s fashion designer Venecia Villalona of YDC Collection, as well as crowned queens from other pageant systems.
But perhaps most pleasing to Paez was the fact that her pageantry coaches came out to support her, including internationally acclaimed interview consultant Jorge Esteban of Coral Gables-based Pageant Smart, whose firm has helped over 80 state winners in the past seven years. Also on hand was Dailin Barca of Model Perfect Group, a stunning force on the Miami modeling and etiquette-coaching scene.
“Pageant delegates like Georgina develop lifelong skills that will enable them to be successful long into the future,” Esteban said.
He specializes on helping beauty pageant clients develop communications skills, such as how to succeed in answering offstage questions and in personal interviews, as well as how to work with the news media and conduct red carpet interviews.
“The top thing I tell my girls is that they should always make sure they trust themselves in this process,” Esteban said.
He typically doesn’t work with girls under the age of 13, but Esteban made an exception to work with Paez, because, he said, “it was clear she is already a rock star.
“What’s really fresh is that Georgina is unfiltered, innocent, and has a charming way about her. She doesn’t try to sugar coat, or be someone she is not. She is proud of who she is and what she brings to the table – and that it is everything in this world.”
Another key player on the pageantry dream team is Barca, whose job is to make Paez feel confident and comfortable on stage. Barca’s coaching firm, Model Perfect Group, is geared primarily for modeling and personal development, but also offers private coaching for girls going into beauty pageants.
With Paez since in late 2017, Barca said she has focused on perfecting Paez’s walk and stage presence, getting Georgina to a point where she is supposed to be for a beauty pageant of this caliber.
“Georgina is proof that tenacity and attention to detail pay off — even after just six months of professional training. That’s because she has the willingness and drive to do exactly what must be done to excel.
“Of course it helps that Georgina is very talented naturally,” Barca added.
The USA National Miss Scholarship Organization is a national scholarship program that recognizes the personal achievement, community involvement, and academic excellence of young women all across the USA. The program is designed to award young women and to mentor them to reach their goals and unleash their true potential.
For information about the National Miss Pageant in Orlando, visit http://usanationalmiss.com/nationals/.
