By Christine Valdez
Web Production Assistant
Oriolo, a Hackensack native who later moved to Colts Neck, had grown up as a dancer up until her high school graduation. Along with spending some time on stage dancing, she also spends her spare time modeling, as she has an interest in fashion. It’s no surprise that it led her into the pageant world, but Oriolo didn’t start out surrounded by it.
Prior to competing in pageants, Oriolo had not been exposed to any competitions — she had not competed or knew anyone that had. It was one day the she had logged onto Facebook that she noticed an ad that introduced her to the pageant world.
“It’s a funny story. One day I was just on Facebook and there happened to be an ad on my Facebook and I clicked on it,” Oriolo said. “I filled out the form, I really didn’t know what I was filling out. It looked really interesting.”
Little did Oriolo know that the form that she had filled out was with one of the biggest pageant systems in the country, the Miss New Jersey USA organization. Upon submitting her form, Oriolo was called back the next day for an interview and from there she was signed up to compete.
Being part of the Miss New Jersey USA pageant organization, Oriolo first competed for the title of Miss New Jersey Teen. About five years ago, she first competed in the pageant, finishing as one of the semifinalists.
Oriolo says that she remembers the experience and going through every single phase of the process, specifically in her first year in the Miss New Jersey Teen USA Pageant. She didn’t know much about the pageant system, but she remembers getting her pageant outfits and meeting the other girls.
After getting her first pageant out of the way, Oriolo returned once more to compete for Miss New Jersey Teen the following year. Now with some experience from the previous year, Oriolo says that she improved the second time around.
“I think that the second year was definitely different than the first year,” said Oriolo. “The first is always a little of trial and error because I really didn’t know much about the pageant world and pageantry in general.”
Oriolo says that the second time went smoother than the first and that she was better prepared because she knew what to expect due to her experience the year prior. While at the pageant, Oriolo captured the same results as her first attempt at the Miss New Jersey Teen title.
Now that she was eligible to compete in the Miss New Jersey USA pageant, Oriolo was ready to take what she had learned with Miss New Jersey Teen and apply it toward her new goal. Just like her results in Miss New Jersey Teen, Oriolo placed as one of the pageant’s semifinalists.
For two years straight, Oriolo fell short of winning the Miss New Jersey title, but she didn’t give up. She applied everything that she knew and the new things that she learned along the way for when she would re-enter the pageant.
“The more prepared I was every year, the more confident I was, the less nervous I was,” Oriolo said. “It definitely changed in the fact that I felt like I knew what was going on and I felt that I could really take the title home because I had developed the qualities throughout the years that were necessary for being a title holder.”
Despite competing over the past four years within the same pageant system and placing as a semifinalist each time, Oriolo did not give up. She went on to register to compete in Miss New Jersey for the third time and compete for the honors of a title reign in 2015. Oriolo says that she felt more prepared than ever and that it was her best shot at winning the title. She says that she wasn’t sure at first if she wanted to compete again but since it was something she really wanted, she didn’t want to take the year off and give up.
The age range to compete is 18 to 27, allowing Oriolo many more years to compete, so she wanted to keep going.
“I’m only 21, so I didn’t think that it was time to give up yet,” she said. “So that’s why I registered to compete again.”
Hoping that the third time would be the charm, she began the process the same way she was accustomed to. This time Oriolo would have to compete and stand out in a pageant featuring 119 women. Regardless of the large number of women competing for the same crown, she was ready.
After making it as a semifinalist, Oriolo was comfortable with her performance but was nervous to know what would come next — whether she would improve her results and make the top five. As names were being called and with one spot left, Oriolo began to think, “You know you can try again next year because it might not be your year because the last spot is never your spot.”
This time, history would not repeat itself. Oriolo made the top five.
“I was just happy at that point that I had even progressed,” she said. “That’s all I wanted. I wanted to see progression, so I was already happy with the results at that point.”
Once names were being called, Oriolo was still on stage with one more contestant, holding each other’s hands while awaiting the result and their fate for the next year. It would turn out the third time was the charm for Oriolo, as she became Miss New Jersey USA 2015.
“It’s such a very humbling experience standing there,” Oriolo said. “I competed against 118, 118 beautiful and confident accomplished women. So it was really surreal standing up there, holding one other girl’s hand and all these people behind you and you know you have like a 50/50 shot of getting the title. Everything happens so quickly, so as soon as I heard my name being called, I kind of was like, ‘Oh my god, is this really happening?’”
At that moment, Emily Shah, Miss New Jersey USA 2014, walked over and crowned Oriolo — handing over the title. Shah, who had competed with Oriolo over the years, congratulated her.
Oriolo says that she was still in shock and took in the first few moments of her reign talking to the judges and taking pictures as the state’s new representative.
As a new journey awaits her, she says that she received advice from Shah, as well as Miss New Jersey USA 2011 Julianna White.
Despite trying to win the crown for several years, Oriolo said that she never expected to win.
“Did I ever think I was going to win this and that I had it in the bag and that I was going to Miss USA? Absolutely not,” said Oriolo. “When they announced that I won and when they announced ‘She will be going to Miss USA,’ I was like oh my gosh. That’s crazy and so surreal but it’s so exciting at the same time.”
Not only will she represent the state at events, but she will wear her New Jersey sash at the upcoming Miss USA pageant. The date and location have yet to be determined, but Oriolo says that she is preparing and hoping to bring New Jersey its first Miss USA title.
As her title reign progresses, Oriolo says she wants to do all she can to represent the state and enjoy every minute.
“I want to make sure that I do my best to represent New Jersey,” she said. “I don’t want to let a minute pass me by without taking all the opportunities that I have coming my way because it’s opened so many doors. I expect that it will be very challenging at Miss USA, but I will do my very best to represent our state, try to bring home the crown for us.”
Oriolo says that while she hopes to enjoy every moment as Miss New Jersey, she also hopes to network and learn more about the fashion world. She had been a marketing major prior to becoming Miss New Jersey. She hopes that the experience, along with school, can help her reach her goal in the fashion industry.
“I would love to work in fashion, it’s just something I have been working towards,” said Oriolo. “I do hope to one day start my own fashion line. Those are just my goals as far as outside the pageant world but I hope to utilize my title to make connections and network and meet the right people.”