The Road To Miss Massachusetts is not an easy one, but the ladies vying for the crown are determined to share with the world what makes them the best candidate for Miss Massachusetts 2017, and move forward to compete for the title of Miss America this September! One of these determined young ladies is Gabriela Taveras, Miss Boston! Continue reading to learn more about her, her journey to the crown and more!

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Please share with our readers your title & platform.
I am Gabriela Taveras (Gabby) Miss Boston 2017 and my platform is “LEE(P) Over Violence”.

How long have you competed in pageants? How do you think you’ve personally grown with all your prior pageant experience?
I have been competing in pageants for three years, but Miss Massachusetts would be my fifth pageant ever! This pageant journey has taught me how to be resilient. In the pageant world, we are judged for everything ranging from our makeup, hair, clothes, personality, walks – anything. Every time I lost a pageant, it taught me how to bounce back stronger and harder because a loss doesn’t mean “no” it simply means “not yet” and I am willing to put in the work until that “not yet” turns into a “yes”.

In regards to your platform, why did you choose to go with this particular one?
I chose my platform because I grew up in Lawrence, MA which unfortunately has a poor reputation for drug and gang violence among other crimes. Having grown up in this environment, I have completely defied the odds set against me by graduating college with a Neurosciences degree and becoming Miss Boston. I have been able to take my personal history of overcoming homelessness, sexual assault, and violence to help young boys and girls work through their circumstances. With my platform, I have had the honor to teach the youth how to channel their energy into creating positive change.

How has working alongside your platform made you into a stronger person?
Since my platform is so personal to me, sharing my story with perfect strangers has strengthened me emotionally. Every time I go to a school and share my story and work with the youth, I make myself vulnerable so they can see that behind this sash and underneath this crown is a person who has fought a similar fight and who fights an internal battle every day, but I know that a bad day doesn’t mean I have a bad life. Usually boys and girls will share with me the obstacles that have made them weak and feel as though they can’t accomplish their wildest dreams. Hearing these stories reminds me that the work that I’m doing is meaningful and necessary because people need to see what life can be like after the storm.

What have you learned from your current Miss Massachusetts, which you hope to carry with you if you were to win the title of Miss Massachusetts?
If I were to win the title of Miss Massachusetts, I would want to carry on the humor that Alissa Musto constantly has. If there’s one thing that absolutely binds every individual in our world, it’s a good joke! I love making people laugh and finding the humor in every situation and to have a Miss Massachusetts who also does this makes me hopeful that I can keep the positivity and humor alive as her successor.

As a titleholder, what is one of the single-most important messages, which you think you convey to your followers?
I think I convey the message to be yourself! If you have ever seen me at an appearance, I have no shame in dancing or singing when I hear a song that I like and I will shamelessly introduce myself to every person in the room. I think it’s important that anyone who follows me on this journey sees the real Gabby and all the corks that come with my personality. I hope they can also find a piece of themselves in me and realize that they can do the things I’ve done too.

If you were to win the title of Miss Massachusetts, what is the one thing which you would strive the hardest to accomplish?
I would strive to be the first Miss Massachusetts to win Miss America. If I were to win Miss Massachusetts, I would be the first woman of color (particularly a Latina) to win the title. To be the first Miss Massachusetts to also win Miss America would prove that you can come from any circumstance and still end up on top. My whole life I was expected to be a statistic because I came from a single parent household with a mother who was is an immigrant. I understand that the title of Miss Massachusetts or Miss America won’t just be given to me and that it has to be earned, but I am willing to put in the work for every person who has ever been told that “their options are limited” because they aren’t.

Imagine you’re competing for Miss America, and your roommate has never visited Massachusetts; how would you describe your state to your roommate?
I would tell them that the state of Massachusetts beats to its own drum. We are constantly going against the grain in social and political matters with one recent example being the first state to legalize gay marriage! We also definitely have the most spirited and spoiled sport fans in the country having won five Superbowls thanks to the New England Patriots.

If you could place three items in a time capsule, which represent the women of today, what would they be and why?
I would place the New York Times in the time capsule because I believe women are becoming more politically involved and informed now more than ever because of the political climate we live in. I would also put a graduation cap because more women are going to college than men and I believe that one of the best ways to create a tear in society is by educating yourself first. Lastly, I would place a contour makeup kit because contouring seems to be on everyone’s “must have” makeup list and I personally love to contour the life out of my face!

Because of media, many people tend to look at pageant with a very scrutinizing opinion; For you. personally, what have been some of the biggest benefits of being a part of the Miss America Organization. And how would you share the positive nature of pageants with others who may not be familiar?
The Miss America Organization is the number one scholarship provider for women in the world and with my title of Miss Boston I have been able to pay for college courses that I would not have been able to pay for otherwise. This organization puts a focus on women educating themselves so they can shatter the glass ceiling while also giving back to their communities. I don’t believe that people who scrutinize pageants have met true pageant queens because if they did they would notice how dedicated we are to making the world a better place as cliche as it sounds. Thanks to pageants, I went from the girl who thought she would never leave Lawrence to the girl who believes she can do and accomplish anything. There’s nothing wrong with a simpler life, but I learned that I don’t have to limit myself and my abilities because the world is big and it needs more people who think big too.

“Bravura” is an artistic word for exceptional; in your opinion, what makes you “bravura”?
I’m not sure that I’m necessarily an exceptional person rather than a person in an exceptional position, but what could make me “bravura” are the life experiences that I’ve had. Not many people can say that at the age of 22 they have been able to work with individuals affected or infected with HIV/AIDs in South Africa and Swaziland and learn about the different factors which have contributed to the epidemic. I have been able to live in Greece for a month and a half to study international relations, geopolitics, and learn Greek meanwhile living in a village. Lastly, I have been able to study race and ethnicity and how it affects individuals in Latin America which hits close to home because I am part Dominican. All these experiences have molded the way I view the world and have allowed me to see not only the black and white in life, but also the gray and how many opportunities I have to be an active participant in changing the world.

Where can fans follow you on social media?
Instagram: @gabbytaveras
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissAmericaBoston/

What advice do you have for those who want to take part in pageants?
If you decide to compete in pageants, say goodbye to the person you used to be and prepare to welcome the amazing person you are about to become. Pageants will push you to be a better version of yourself in every way. It will teach you how to take care of your body, how to speak, how to walk, and most importantly how to exude the confidence to capture a room with solely your presence but most importantly it will teach you to still be yourself. It requires work but the amount of work that you put in, however, will never be in vain if you don’t win because it will prepare your for any future endeavors that you’ll have.

What words of thanks do you have for those who have helped to bring you to where you are today in the Miss Massachusetts Class of 2017?
I want to thank every person who has helped me to get to this point. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it definitely takes the combination of a few states to raise a pageant queen. During this journey I have gained family and friends throughout the country who constantly shower me with love and encouragement because they believe in me and in my vision. Thank you for investing in me, for loving me, and for seeing the potential in me even when I didn’t see it. I love you, always.

What final words do you have for the readers of Bravura Magazine?
I hope this inspires you to do things that you never thought you could do because your life is meant to be bravura. The hardest part is getting over the initial fear that you will feel, but honestly, if your dreams don’t scare you then ask yourself – are they big enough?