The world as a stage has tremendously mounted incalculable players masterfully delineating varied roles as they effectually interact with the rest on the arena. While some were assigned light and moderate roles others took a load that required varied acting techniques and wide-ranging attacks.
Meet would-be protagonist Shirley Escalada Capaldo, a loquaciously outspoken beauty pageant aspirant who is stunning in her queenly form, as she tackles her assigned role on the world stage.
Born August 21 in New York, New York to Vicenzo Capaldo (a Cuban-Italian) and Maria Luisa Escalada (a Filipina), Shirley was destined to explore the limitless possibilities this world has to offer and take every probable challenge that comes along her way.
Already a resident of Jersey City for a decade, Shirley was already infatuated with beauty pageants since she was 8. “I so loved watching the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant year after year…and imagined myself in the competition when I grew up,” she said amusingly.
At the early age of 9 she already showed potential in the field of beauty pageant when she participated in one of John Robert Powers’ events and ended as a finalist during the 2012 Miss American Co-Ed pageant. The euphoric experience brought about by the pageant and the beguiling beacon it enticed her gave Shirley a remarkable amount of confidence that it was what she really wanted.
In 2014, she was crowned Miss Eco-Tourism in Romblon, her maternal home province. “That was one of the best times of my life. I wasn’t prepared at all but all my relatives, friends, and my parents showed their support that boosted my ego and built my confidence,” she shared.
Talented with a commanding personality, Shirley is also a self-taught artist perfecting her strokes in acrylic; she is also creative and an excellent dancer. If there’s but one instrument that she wanted to be versatile at, that would be the guitar. “It’s amazing how a piece of wood with strings attached to it could produce varied sounds in just finger strumming or plucking. It’s even more romantic when singing is accompanied by it,” she said sounding bewildered.
Growing up entails a lot of trials while being confronted with domestic ordeals and tribulations. They often say that the safest place is home but in a few rare cases, the latter cannot even be considered a secured abode.
Shirley has had knowledgeable encounters regarding disorderliness and discordant household situations.
“Moving out of our house at the age of 15 due to insufferable family issues inevitably enforced me to mature quicker than girls my age. I had no choice but to free myself from the bondage of mental torture and physical abuse. Constant challenges I had to face and crucial decisions I had to make on my own more than made me a strong woman that I am now,” she shared with misty eyes and in low tone, as she seemed to have some sort of heaviness get off her chest.
Despite all what had transpired, Shirley remained driven and focused on what she had aimed for. Though with a heavy spirit and a longing soul, she mustered enough courage to take the first step and trusted that first step with all her heart…. and everything followed.
Sometimes, even the mere decision to live and weather the storms in life is in itself a courageous act and a heroic deed. Shirley had practically dealt with all sorts of obstacles this world has ever known but giving up was never her preference. Though young and only in her formative years she had applied all possible ways to parry every attack and be consistently motivated to sustain her journey.
Shirley’s fragile frame was made strappingly firm by voluminous predicaments, hitches, and quandaries one wouldn’t even imagine having been encountered by such a frail-looking girl. She was made stronger by every dilemma that came her way and had mastered adequate audacity to face heart-stabbing situations until such time when incessant pains and hardships made her stoic.
Her magnificently building obsession took a dark turn upon discovering that the prevailing family issues and mounting domestic problems had severely affected her academic standing while slowly leaving an unbearable stigma that hit her like another nail in her coffin. The seemingly endless torturing concern kept her tossing in bed during sleepless nights. At her tender age, life appeared to her like an encumber weighing her down to such abysmal depth… that even a sudden gush of fused, ruptured emotions and bursting sensation failed to set her free.
But when her world seemed crumbling down, her persistence at the verge of dwindling, and her grip had reached the end of the rope, she still managed to tie a knot…regain her breath… and hang on to dear life.
Although, there were couple of times when she felt lost, aimlessly alone, confused, and unwanted. Opting for self destruction, harmful impulses, and negative behavior was farthest from her mind but there’s nothing that could relieve her from misery, self pity, and depression… until she lost her track of mind and in an instant slashed her wrist. Even the oozing blood and pinning pain had paucity to bring her back to her senses. Numbness enveloped her whole being. Fortuitously her brother and younger sister were home and saved her from ultimately ruining her life.
“That was one incident that finally opened my eyes… that ending my life wasn’t worth it,” she said regretfully in a malleable tone. “I suddenly remembered Rabindranath Tagore’s quotation: Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless in facing them…let me not beg for the stilling of my pains but for my heart to conquer them.”
Now, with a little more than eight years on her own, already armed with a Psychology degree from the Hudson Community College, driving a car she bought from her savings, and five years of employment as Bar Manager, Shirley could only look back to her past with fondness.
In reality, Shirley wasn’t alone in her journey. There were famous celebrities who successfully battled depression brought about by poverty and extreme cases like Demi Moore (who spent years in trailer parks), Justin Bieber (who lived in rat-infested home with an empty fridge), Jay Z (where even bread was a luxury item), Mariah Carey (who grew up in the poorest neighborhood in Long Island), Leonardo DiCaprio (who grew up surrounded by drug dealers and prostitutes) and many more that are hard to believe they came from poor and problematic families but look where they are now?
These celebrities’ inspiring lives instantly coruscated Shirley’s dimming outlook in life. Awakened from her dismal state Shirley started to reorganize herself and aggressively resumed her unflinching determination to go on with her journey…earn a name…and make it big in the field she chose to excel.
Unbeknownst to many and even among her peers, Shirley loves kids. Currently she mentors for Big Brother, Big Sister Hudson, Essex, and Union Counties while hosting multiple fundraisers through her workplace at Light Rail Café. During back-to-school season, she raises school supplies, collects canned goods in November, toy drives in December, and raises money for her favorite local charity, the Angela Cares, Inc.
“I have a vision to empower young children and women. I believe that no matter where one comes from, he or she could accomplish anything once they put to mind: Live in triumph, not defeat!” the soft-spoken beauty declares.
At 23, she feels she’s a veteran survivor of all sorts of trials. Life has taught her not only to survive but to fight back and elude attacks. Shirley believes in living life to the fullest and one has to adapt to every situation. “You pick and choose your battles and ‘though you might not conquer every battle, keep fighting until you win the war. Giving up should never be an option.”
Recently, after she learned that there’s no height requirement for a Miss Universe contestant, it fueled her desire to enter the contest. Shirley became the official candidate of Jersey City to the Miss New Jersey-USA 2017 pageant through the encouragement and moral support of Jersey City Council President Rolando Lavarro and Hudson RehabSpa honcho Mike Florendo.
“I believe the pageant will me share my concern for suicide prevention and give me the opportunity to make a greater impact on the world…starting in Jersey City,” She said with certainty after having been in such situation.
“Just a few months ago, I discovered my passion for acting and modeling,” Shirley shared with candidness. “I want to be in the stature of Angelina Jolie, Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep and Tyra Banks. They have their own peculiar stories, worked extremely hard to attain their goals, and found their calling. They never fail to inspire me…and keep me driven!”
The passionate beauty aspirant is also into sports. She was Captain and MVP of the Vipers, her high school volley ball team in NYC aside from being active in soccer, basketball, dance sports, and chess. Currently, she is into swimming and gym fitness regimen to stay in shape and as a preparation for her upcoming competition.
“Ultimately, I want to be a successful film actress and model which could lead me to start my own non-profit organization to help those in the similar situations where I was before. I want to be an inspiration to the youth and women…not actually a perfectly unreachable paradigm but someone they could at least emulate and run to…in case of need!” Shirley discloses affirmatively.
Incidentally, the Miss New Jersey USA 2017 pageant will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Parsippany, New Jersey on October 14 to 16, 2017.
From your family, friends, and supporters, Shirley, here’s wishing you all the luck on your quest for the Miss New Jersey USA 2017 title.
For comments and suggestions, please email to: [email protected].
