Ozone Park native Kelly Ojos, 19, placed in the Top 10 out of 130 contestants in the Miss New York Pageant. Photo Courtesy of Tess Johnson Photography
For Ozone Park native Kelly Bojos, her first time competing in a beauty pageant was a charm as she placed in the top ten finalists out of 130 girls in the recent Miss New York Pageant held at Suny Purchase College.
Bojos, 19, who is of Colombian, Dominican and Lebanese descent, attended St. Mary Gate of Heaven in
Ozone Park before being accepted to LaGuardia High School’s “Fame School” of music and performing arts as a dance major. She is currently enrolled at Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology studying advertising, marketing and communications.
“I am interested in possibly a career in broadcasting and hosting,” Bojos said. “I would love to get a great internship and gain experience from there.”
Growing up in Queens, Bojos said she loves living in the borough because of its diversity and reputation as a melting pot of all cultures.
“We have all different nationalities in Queens and can learn from one another,” she said. “There are about 138 languages spoken in the borough, I think that is absolutely amazing!”
Bojos path to the Miss NY Pageant was made possible by her enduring involvement in dance.
“It all started with Rising Stars Dance Studio, the place where my love for dance began,” she explained.
Bojos, who said she began dancing at the Richmond Hill dance studio since the age of 5, now teaches students there various dance styles from ballet and tap to jazz, hip hop, and modern.
“I love being a dance teacher and being able to inspire young children to express themselves through dance,” she said. “It is a great way to build up kid’s self-esteem as well.”
Further, Bojos herself credits many of the techniques she’s learned to her first dance teacher, Suzanne Padundi-Ridriguez, who “truly opened my eyes to the world of the arts and entertainment.”
“I decided to enter the pageant initially for fun and for the experience,” Bojos said.
She said that performing and being on stage has always been easy, so she wondered how much different competing in a beauty pageant could be. “I was right,” Bojos concluded. “The whole thing was a blast and the experience of a life time.”
In describing the whole pageant experience, Bojos said that although she did not get the chance to make the Top 5 and answer the final question, she was happy with how far she went. “Being one of the Top 10 finalists out of 130 girls is a huge achievement for me as my first pageant,” she said.
And, while the Miss NY was Bojo’s first go-round on the pageant circuit, she said her parents couldn’t have been more supportive.
“My parents always support anything I put my heart and mind to. They have always told me I am capable of anything in this world,” she said, adding that when she first approached her parents with the idea of entering the pageant, they were thrilled and immediately started to help her prepare.
“I am so thankful to have such a great support system. I am a lucky girl when it comes to my parents, family, and friends.”
Going forward, Bojos plans to continue her march towards a pageant title.
“I am determined to win the title of Miss New York USA. I truly want to represent the beautiful state that I was born and raised in,” she said, enthusiastically.
Upon reflection, Bojos called the entire experience “phenomenal.”
“I gained knowledge of what really goes on in preparing for a pageant and how much more goes into it other than just outer beauty.”
By Alan Krawitz
